How to question - that is the question!

 Thinking about questioning strategies is something I still need to do further work on. I am the ultimate offender of asking those "yes" or "no" questions and then stopping. I get freaked out and forget that those are not really questions - I mean they are...but they are not higher order questions that require deeper thinking and dialogue between your students.

I located a cool resource for questioning strategies at Minds In Bloom. These are all questions that can be used during literature circles, on quizzes, or during class discussions. The nice thing is that these questions can be applied to any book, short story - anything the students are reading and the structure of them lends them to those higher level of thinking that we are all striving for our students to achieve.

I got to experience one questioning technique which encourages students to question each other, and it was really cool. It was called "Say Something Reading Circles." You split the students into groups of 3 to 5. Student 1 read one page of text. When they finish, student 2 shares a question, idea, or anything that they want to inquire more about after listening to the paragraph. Maybe it was asking why an author made a certain word choice - or maybe they don't understand WHAT they just listened to! Anyone in the group then responds to what student 2 says. Then student 2 reads the next page, and this continues until all the students have had an opportunity to read and pose something for discussion. Granted, it's a rather slow process when reading a novel, but the dialogue that the students came up with was really great, and they enjoyed it quite a bit! Personally, I could see myself using this with short stories at first, having students read maybe a paragraph or a stanza of a poem, to get their feet wet, then maybe use it with a novel.

I also really liked the "Pause, Pose, Pounce, and Bounce" technique that I saw on the NSEAD.org website. The steps are:

Pose – Teacher poses the question as a big question for all to consider and form a response to.
Pause – Teacher gives thinking time and possibly discussions/thinking together.
Pounce – Teacher selects who will provide and answer (no hands and not hands up).
Bounce – Teacher ‘bounces’ the answers from student to student developing the ideas/encouraging all to add their views or extend the e.g. depth and breadth of answers.

Again, it's all about getting the students to think deeper and converse with each other about the material you are discussing.

We are all still learning, so - take a risk. Try one! Find more!

Utilizing Translanguaging strategies for assessment in the classroom

We have had some amazing discussions this week in regards to differentiated instruction, emergent bilinguals, and the concept of translanguging as pedagogy in the classroom. And when you really think about it, it just makes sense. Although I can barely speak the fundamental greetings and a few simple words in Spanish, it does not mean that I can't figure out a way to teach and assess my students in ways that will benefit that emergent bilingual learner.

If you think about it, when we create our lessons using concepts of UDL and differentiation, we are really 3/4 of the way through modifying and creating assessments that incorporate translanguaging methodology into the classroom. The trick is to find a way to do it that will enrich the learning of the EB student while also not forgetting about the rest of your students. You don't want to start differentiating your assignments to the point where you are watering down either your content or assessments - that is not going to keep your teaching meaningful and memorable to your students.

Many of Chris Tovani's strategies for readers from I Read It, But I don't Get It can be very helpful for all students - not just the struggling readers or your EB students. Marking up the text (or post it notes if you can't write in the books), highlighters, using double (or triple!) sided journal entries, taking notes, asking questions to engage further with the text will all be helpful ways for all of your students to gain more from their reading. For you EB students, I believe that finding texts that are written in their home language will be very helpful, but I also believe they should be provided with the English text as well so they can follow along and make connections between the English text and what is written in their home language. Now, part of me thinks this is unfair - I mean, are you not asking these emergent bilingual students to do double the amount of work? However, you may not have to do that in all cases. Sometimes you need to start in smaller chunks so that the student does not feel overwhelmed by what you are asking them to read. Maybe give them the full book in their home language, but make copies of the chapters that you would also like them to read in English - chapters maybe that have more challenging or richer vocabulary that are central to the plot. You can then take some of that vocab and create multi-lingual word walls for your students - and these can be added to while they continue through the chapters as well.

When trying to formulate assessment, I feel that voice and choice are going to play a major role in students finding a way to communicate to you that they have grasped the concept that they were supposed to be learning during your lessons or units. It will not be just about that essay or answering questions. Let them shoot that video in their home language, but put captions on in English. Have your EB students with with a native English speaker on projects, and utilize writings such as the two-voice poem and have your students write in both languages. Have them try to express themselves musically or through artwork. There are so many ways that you can have them utilize their home language and English to express themselves in these assessments. But they need to know that this is what you expect them to do. You must create that environment and expectation where they not only know that translanguaging is OK to do, but it is expected.

When administering assessments that need to be written out, I feel that providing the questions written in both languages for EB students would be the most beneficial way for them to understand the questions that are being asked of them - and then giving them the opportunity or option to write their response in either English, their home language, or a combination of both. If needed, you can also work with the student after the assessment is turned in to have them help you translate it so it will make sense. Sometimes, as we know, English can be very difficult to navigate, with so many homophones, homonyms, and homographs even native English speakers and readers can get get flubbed up. But by working with the student on the translation, you can help them to start making those grammatical connections in English that are different from their home language - and those connections will be important to them grasping some of those complicated concepts. With the multitude of technologies that are available in the classroom, such as Google Translate, this idea of teaching with translanguaging in mind will become much easier with time and practice.

Using comics or graphic novels to teach about race and racism

Although my daughter is an avid reader of a number of YA novels, she is also an avid consumer of manga and graphic novels. That was why I opted to skip her bookshelf and see what else was out there that we don't own. The first stereotype I get to whack here is that graphic novels are not just the campy Batman comics of the 60's that I typically think of.

With the vast array of material available now, you can find those that have some serious subjects contained within those inked pages. A quick Google search brought me a cornucopia of material to sift through. I landed on the graphic novel American Born Chinese written by Gene Luen Yang, who is an Asian-American cartoonist and educator.

The novel addresses cultural tropes about Chinese-Americans, racial stereotypes, assimilation into the American culture, and this desire that everyone has to fit in to where they live. The three intersecting story lines follow the legend of the Monkey King who tries to do everything he can NOT to be a monkey so he can fit in with the rest of the world, Chin-Kee who embodies every single Asian stereotype in existence, Jin, Chin's cousin who in an attempt to distance himself from Chin goes through a type of identity crisis and changes his name to Danny, and Jin's friend Wei-Chen who seems to be the most comfortable with his own identity in the book. We are shown the struggles of these Chinese-American students trying to make their way in a predominantly white society. One panel in particular pointed out how painful labels can be, and it made some very powerful statements.

This novel is an excellent example to use in the classroom to point out the issues with racial stereotyping and assumptions that are made when you encounter people of another culture. 

I found a great lesson could be used to lead off the discussion called Understanding Stereotypes, to bring in some solid background information about labels, bias, and racial stereotypes. I also found an atrocious news piece that aired on Fox News during the 2016 election, Watters' World: Chinatown Edition , which shows how prolific racial stereotyping is in the media, even today. To point out as well some of those stereotypes that show up in pop culture, this comic could be used to discuss how stereotypes can be harmful even when trying to find a job in Hollywood: 

Once those materials are reviewed, you can read through the novel while considering some important discussion questions, such as: What kinds of connections can you make between stereotypes and racism/sexism? How do stereotypes hinder someones ability to attain the American dream? What kinds of identity crisis do many children of immigrants face when growing up in the US? Is cultural identity separate from personal identity or are they mixed together? (I found a full unit online to use for this novel, and I adapted my questions from there) I think that the discussions and writings that would take place after reading the novel will really be helpful when trying to dig into that enormous issue of racism in society. 

What would make a good lesson for you?

What would make a good lesson for you? Well, that somehow seems to be a complicated question. I said today to my cooperating teacher that "I still don't know what I don't know." Then I reflect and realize that there are plenty of things I do know. But then, I think I have no idea how to deliver this material to my learners that is engaging and interesting and will help them to learn something (insert extreme self-doubt here).

<-- This: this picture seems to embody some of the things that go through my mind. It is not about what you are doing with your students - it is about what you want them to learn in the process.  

When I think back on my previous education, I know that listening to a teacher drone on and one about things that I did not understand was just the most awful part of my day. You never felt that the classroom was an inviting world where you could ask questions and be involved in meaningful conversation about the topic you were learning about. It was all about do this, do that, take a test and then move on. I loved lessons that were interactive, that made me think and actually APPLY the things that I was learning about.

There are so many moving parts that you need to consider when planning a lesson, like the student's prior knowledge, how they can make connections to their own worlds, materials, time, methods, and assessments - just to touch on a few! When reading the Christenbury chapter, what stuck out to me what was the idea of of simplicity. (105) Sometimes the most elaborate plans you have for lessons are not the most effective ones. When I first started to learn about lesson plans, I wanted to be as original and creative as possible. I wanted to pack as much as I possibly could into a lesson and figured that some kind of osmosis or learning would take place and it would be amazing. Things did not turn out as I had envisioned. I had way too much planned, did not think about activating student's prior knowledge, and just kept trucking through like a criminal through a roadblock. I don't know that I stopped to breathe or check learning. No one got anything out of that lesson except me - when I had to do my personal reflection. 

Keeping things simpler can make for a more meaningful and successful lesson, which I learned after more experimentation with lessons. The next lesson that I prepared and used in a classroom (with actual students, not just my peers) was far more successful because I did not do all the work myself. I worked with my cooperating teacher and crafted a mini-lesson on how to find information for an MLA formatted work cited page. The purpose of the lesson was to have them understand the importance of crafting an MLA works cites page, and also to have them rely less on bibliography "bots" and more on finding the information out for themselves. After a short PowerPoint (I know, SO cliche, but it worked for me), and some navigational information on Purdue OWL, I gave the students a graphic organizer and had them do a scavenger hunt in the classroom where they wrote down what they needed to create proper MLA citations using actual books and some online sources. Although the information was a bit on the dry side, because I had them up and moving around the room and moving through different stations, they really enjoyed the activity and in the process actually learned something - and even better, it was something that could be utilized in other classes. Trust me, I would much rather have crafted a lesson around some kind of dystopian short story that they could relate to current events in society - but mini-lessons don't typically let you do that! 

This journey that we are on of learning for ourselves how to craft lessons and figure out  what makes a "good lesson" is going to be one that is constantly evolving. And I really hope I continue to get better at it. 

Oh, those pesky "isms": Using Technology to Teach Learners About Racism

Teaching about racism in the classroom can be a tough topic. Regardless of what type of district you end up teaching in, there will be lingering undertones of racism: in the hallways during conversations, the little jokes learners (and even faculty!) tell during lulls in the classroom, discussions about the newest television shows, commercials or memes on the internet. Thanks to the information age that we live in, implicit racism surrounds our learners everywhere they look. Although the conversations may be uncomfortable at first, the discussions about racism, sexism, and all the other "isms" that are present in society need to take place if change is going to happen. To chew on this subject further, here is an article about the reasoning behind why discussions of race and politics belong in the classroom, with some guidelines for doing so. Along with what we have been reading and discussing in class, I thought this would be helpful to share, especially with the current political climate that we currently exist in.

One concept that really stuck out to me in our readings is that of internalized racism - things that we see or do every day - things we take for granted - that have racist or sexual overtones that we don't even recognize as being damaging. Advertising is one powerful way to show how television ads can be used to show how prolific racism and sexism is in society. Even with the advent of amazing technology like the DVR, advertising still weasels it's way into our digital landscape. You should find advertisements that do not only show negative stereotypes - you need a good mix of both (you don't really want the whole lesson to be completely bleak). Some example ads I found on YouTube are linked below (also, I was totally disturbed by the amount of ads that come up when you type "racist commercials" into the search bar...just sayin!)

Tide Dad
Amazon Kindle Ad 
Fiat Ad 
Laundry Detergent Ad
Faygo Redpop Commercial
1960's Jell-o Commercial
Special K

The learners would be split into groups to watch the videos and they can work on a list of questions and take notes while they watch. Questions such as:

What kind of emotions did you have when you watched these commercials?
What kinds of stereotypes did you see in the ads?
What message does this advertisement send to the receiver? Positive? Negative? Cultural appropriation? (this is why you need a mix - some should have positive representation of a social group or race!)
Do you think the advertiser had the specific social group in mind when they scripted this commercial?
Does advertising of this nature have an affect of how people view marginalized social groups? Why or why not?

Once they do their group work, there can be a share out with the rest of the class and maybe a larger project can come out of this using the questions below:
Do you think the advertisers could get their message across in a different way?
How would you change this advertisement to be devoid of any racist/sexist or any other kind stereotype?

Words have the power to empower

When thinking about critical literacy, I loved the way that Shor described it: "Critical literacy thus challenges the status quo in an effort to discover alternative paths for self and social development." (282) In order to be fully effective as in the classroom, social justice education and critical literacy go hand in hand. (Here is an article about the long term affects of social justice education I found really interesting!) Giving students the tools to analyze the world that they live in to help them to understand that they have a voice, they matter and can stand up and be catalysts for change in society is a very powerful thing. Helping them to unpack ideas and "ism's" that surround them every day of their lives is key in teaching them how to push back against the status quo and use their voices to evoke changes in attitudes and treatment of others. I want to be able to teach my students not to take things at face value and to question articles or stories they may see in the various sources of digital media that we are exposed to every day.

I think that in the world of ELA, we have an advantage. I am in awe of all of the amazing literature that has been written over the past few years that takes a critical look at how marginalized populations are taken advantage of, oppressed, and exploited all to maintain the status quo. Powerful works in the world of adolescent literature are bringing to the forefront  subjects like racism, the #blacklivesmatter movement, date rape and sexual abuse, sex trafficking, and the challenges that transgender and gay adolescents face daily. Situations that our students see every day in the media, Twitter feeds, and Instagram posts. The sad thing is that some of our students have been affected by these same situations. I love the idea of having the opportunity to explore some of these books and use them to have students dig deep on topics that they know in their souls are just wrong. I found a great lesson plan on Cultural Connections and Writing for Change that is technically geared towards grades 3-5, but can  be easily adapted to upper level students quite easily by changing the books or short stories they can read to. Students read a story about another culture or critical issue that is affecting their world, then do some Venn diagrams to compare your culture or family to the one in the story. This is really a neat activity because students can see that other cultures may have their differences but there are so many similarities that bridge the cultural divide. They then move on to some writing assignments, picking an issue that came up in the book and expanding on it. Then they can move on to issues affecting their lives or community and then maybe even composing letters to elected officials in their areas to use their voices to evoke changes. I get giddy with excitement and hope when I think about using some of this new adolescent lit in my classroom. 

This is such a simplistic visual for how one can start to engage in critical literacy in the classroom, but as I am all about the power of words - it makes sense. Using a simple display like this with your students can help them to visualize the process.

My manifesto

I am a teacher who stands up for all students rights and liberties against those that would oppress them, who is in favor of freedom against those who try to suppress their voices, who is a supporter of their rights to a fair and equitable education against those who continue to fight against equality, and who is the defender of those who are unequipped to fight back against the bullies of the world. 
I am a teacher who favors the permanent struggle against racism and against inequality for all students. I am a teacher who rejects the phrase "I can't do that!" and supports replacing it with "I will do my best!", because it is responsible for creating an environment where students understand that their efforts and their work are both valid and recognized. I am a teacher full of hope, in spite of an environment that seems hopeless. I am a teacher who refuses to allow her students to sit back and be idle when I know they have the ability to do great things with a little bit of encouragement. I am a teacher proud of all my students - their accomplishments and failures - and of myself, for persevering in a landscape that can be harsh at times but full of the amazing things that this universe has to offer. If I do not struggle for the understanding of myself, my students, and the world we all co-exist in, than I will no longer be me. 

- Adapted from a passage from Paulo Freire's book Pedagogy of Freedom: Ethics, Democracy, and Civic Courage