Foot: Me As A Teacher (Extra Credit)

There have been many times that I have asked myself, "What does this mean to you?" or "Why should I do that?" when I have been assigned a new project for class, the Multi-Genre Autobiography was no different. At first I honestly had no answer to these questions, but after some thought I think I see why we were assigned this project. Everyone is different. This means all our students, students’ parents and our colleagues, even though often very close in age, have very different needs and personalities. On the other hand, each group still has some things in common that can be used to help the entire group understand or become interested in a topic/activity. This could not have been more apparent then in the presentations of our class’s multi-genre autobiographies. We are all very different people from mostly different backgrounds. The fact that we are all in the same degree already gives us a common interest but after the viewing of the autobiographies we saw that most of us had even more in common. Most of the things in common were in the media. So if we were very similar in what we connected with in the media, my guess would be that our students are too. By using multi-modal methods in class you can connect to many of the students with something they are already connected with each other on. For example, Facebook and Twitter are very common tools for people to use in order to socialize nowadays, including, as we have seen through many of our classroom discussions, our students. If we can utilize these in the classroom we can connect to the students in ways earlier generations of teachers could not. By showing students that we can and do use the same technology they do, we show them that there are multiple ways we are connected.

            The multi-genre autobiography also taught me that what I liked and what I see as important directly affects what I will teach and how I teach it. For example, if I love the classics, I may teach more of them. If multi-media is something I was attached to I may focus on that. It is very important that these things don’t get us trapped in certain genres and methods. We have to be flexible and very up to date with new/current media so we can relate to our students. If we simply recognize media as old as Care Bears and Power Rangers as good media how can we relate to our students? This project also made me reflect on how many teachers I had were from the same generation, and how many had similar teaching methods/styles. They were so dull. Each class was very similar in activities no matter the subject and it became very boring and repetitive. We have to prevent this from happening in our generation.

Pytash: Jago Ch. 5

          Again this book amazes me!!! I am admittedly one of the many people to which Jago refers that openly hate poetry, until recently. I have only fund a love for it in discovering the many methods of how to read it and this chapter explains it all. Understanding the poem is everything. It is how we justify reading it and how we are able to take meaning from it. But if we don't try to understand it then it will simply be some group of meaningless words, in some set form that sits dryly on the page. The read aloud activity Jago mentions and demonstrates in this chapter is perhaps the most exciting and will probably be my most used technique when teaching literature. The way in which you think and demonstrate your thought triggers the thoughts and conversations you as a teacher want your students to have. And their use of the technique will make them more comfortable in a discussion on something, poetry, many people find difficult and  pointless. I also completely agree with Jago that difficult poems must be read. For example I put forth myself. I never liked poetry in school except for the work of Edgar Allen Poe and Shakespeare. We always read things that seemed to have little meaning or surface meaning, simply they meant what they said. Because of this I never understood what was so special about saying things in this manner, it's just more work to follow rules of a specific form and to try and rhyme. So obviously I think I was simply studying the wrong poetry. Jago suggests that high schoolers should be reading poems as deeply written as Wordsworth's "The World is Too Much With Us" and I would have loved poetry if my teachers would have felt the same way and pushed us to read poems with deeper meanings.
        Because of all the situations I have mentioned I'm sure you could gather that poetry is the one thing I fear teaching the most. But after having read Jago's advice on teaching it I am thinking much differently on how to approach the genre and even on how to have fun with it. I know crazy idea to have fun with literature, but I'm telling you this is a section I dread. My hope is that in these last few semesters before graduation poetry will become something that is way more comfortable for me and that while student teaching I will get to practice some of the activities Jago has presented in her book.
       Finally, I must say, I loved the discussion at the end of the chapter on Poe's "The Raven." This is by far my favorite poem and one that I have studied many times in classes, yet I have never heard of anything mentioned at the end of this chapter. I love that she brought up that Poe really didn't write on a whim without thought, again it takes work, and I think if students see that the work amounts to something they will be more willing to do it themselves. Many students, I think, believe that poetry comes naturally, I know I did. This example of a great author putting in work and time to make his poetry great would have really given me the idea that maybe I could do it too. Also by showing that even Poe had to go through some pretty funny ideas, example, the parrot, to find something really good and solid, a teacher could give students the confidence to make mistakes and think funny things. They don't always lead to nothing and often aren't even known thoughts after the finished work is published unless you tell people about your thought process. When writing often you have to get the weird and crazy out to get ideas for the good and solid, sometimes they are even one in the same. Way to go Jago, you have boosted my confidence in teaching and analyzing poetry with and without the students at my side!!!

Pytash: Jago Ch. 3

Wow how obviously important is this chapter? Choosing what to read is the most critical element of teaching literature. What you teach shows what you and society value as important and what the students should value as important. Also, because reading is what provides much of your vocabulary, you are choosing what words to teach the students. I must say I love the classics, but I find myself in a deep disagreement with many of the ways Jago is portraying as good techniques or choices. After looking closely at Young Adult literature last semester I cannot agree that these books offer nothing more than a mirror image of a student or their situation. I do agree that they shouldn't be the only thing taught but they should be taught. They are worthy topics for classroom discussion and can offer many occasions for teaching things such as vocabulary. While these books are certainly easier for students to read, they still offer words and not all of them are known. They may even be an easy connection to a classic novel. Much like the project we are doing this semester I believe a classic can and should be paired with a classic to lead to a better understanding of both novels. A good novel to choose for classroom discussion according to Jago is one that a student needs your help to get through, I agree. But can't all books be taught and looked at in different lights? And can't they mean different things to different people? So why is it not important to convey these differences and analyze why and where these differences lie? I believe this can offer just as much of an experience and knowledge as a classic taught in Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development. The key is to teach anything in this area. That's the great thing about novels, they can always offer new avenues to explore and new thoughts on life situations.

            Also in this chapter I really liked the idea of giving the students a way to record the books they have read. This would be wonderful to look at each year and see how much you have accomplished. To know that you had expanded your knowledge with each novel read and to see all the novels on that list, you know you must have accomplished something. Finally there was one quote in this chapter that really meant something to me: "'Your' classic is a book to which you cannot remain indifferent, and that helps you define yourself in relation or even in opposition to it." Because of this I believe everyone should have a favorite classic, "their classic." If a novel defines or relates to you, so will others. And if you can find other novels relate to your classic you can understand it better. Sooner or later through this process you have a lot of books to call yours and to define the world in which you live, not just the classics.

Pytash: Jago Ch. 2

             I loved this book so I had to just keep reading this chapter! I know it wasn't assigned but I think it offered many points worth discussing. My favorite part was honestly the quote from a student's paper, "Every book is made of words. In Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger uses many words." This quote made me think for a long time about what a novel or other literary work means and should mean to a student, because essentially they are simply words. But what those words mean what emotions they evoke are what is important to students and the novel. Words are what make us identifiable as humans and as unique individuals. I sit in class sometimes or on the bus and listen to people talk and it baffles me how different everyone is even with the similarity of being or getting educated. According to Jago the difference is mostly in how much these people have read and what they have read. I couldn't agree more. Jago also emphasizes that this is a natural process for people, this I also agree with, but I believe the process needs some help. Obviously with the information in the previous chapter we as teachers and even parents eventually have to jump-start the process by allowing or even making kids read. It's that simple! Yes some students will be reluctant but it will pay off in the end to find a way to get them to read. I really like the activity Jago introduces with Shakespeare's Julius Caeser. By making students focus on those words and on the character you bring them closer to the character and give them the opportunity to learn new words. This is a great way to kill two birds with one stone so to speak. Finally I'd like to say the last activity connected to the words given for Julius Caeser where she has the students rate themselves was brilliant. This really gives the student a chance to relate to a character and even to the piece of literature. Again killing two birds with one stone.

Pytash: Jago Ch. 1

To my surprise, I really enjoyed this book. I was truly dreading having to read and now I can't keep the concepts Jago introduces out of my head. In the first chapter I really connected with the story about the similar lessons in the third and eighth grade classrooms. I am horrified to say I have personally witnessed this even on a college level! I have an acquaintance that just recently was accepted to KSU and in his College Writing 1 class they had to go over how to write a paragraph and a paper before they could get started discussing what the paper topics should be. This too me is outrageous and unacceptable, even in grade school, and I couldn't agree more with Jago that this should not be occurring at any level of education. I also found it interesting that she discusses the differences in the consistency of the curriculum with the content of the standardized tests. Like much of the statistics in today's society the lower class and lower income kids get the short end of the stick. This was not surprising to me, but it did lead to some thought on why it is this way. Parents in low income families are often busy trying to handle the trials of their lives and may not be able to constantly help their kids and the schools in these districts often can not afford good teachers in the schools. Beyond this many teachers fear being placed in these schools that cater to low-income families. All of these elements boil down to one conclusion for the students: they don't learn as much or as well as their middle and upper class counter parts. The biggest disappointment in the situation, however, is this problem could be fixed if teachers paid attention and followed their training. I think if teachers followed or utilized many of the things we are being taught now, such as reading strategies and more fun classroom activities, they could make learning fun and easy for all involved. This means we must stop asking level one questions and challenge our students with something more involving and thought provoking. That to me seems as simple as changing a couple questions, so why can't all teachers do it?

Also in this chapter I enjoyed Jago's points on what literature means to people and how it helps in human development. Too many times when I tell people I am training to be and English teacher or if I mention that my focus in English, I get a reaction like, "So you just read really good." This statement while very close to some truth is not very close to what reading means to our society. Jago points this out in many sections. My favorite point in this section of the chapter is that literature gives background knowledge. When Jago discusses London's novel White Fang and where she acquired her background knowledge for the understanding and imagining of London's fictional world I couldn't help to think about where I got much of my knowledge especially about places I have never been, books and literature. Mind you books haven't provided all of my background knowledge and I don't believe they can replace an experience of the real place, but they can give you a pretty accurate description and provide a unique experience that you can later refer to when thinking or discussing the area or thing you read about. Again I think so why is this not emphasized in the classroom? Sure teachers ask about where the characters are and may even have students look up what the area looks like, but what about the image the students see when they read? That's just as important as the real thing and provides more of a connection and reference for the student to go back to than some research project can create. 

Finally I must say I disagree with Jago in this chapter when she says common non-reading activities must be used sparingly and always with a writing activity. I agree they should not be the full focus of a class; however, I think these activities, when done properly, can expand the students knowledge just as much as writing activities and/or reading. In fact things that she mentions, like storyboards, require an understanding of the material and involve writing. And as we are experiencing in Multi-Modal Literature class now, film is a form of literature it simply needs to be treated as such, instead of it becoming a free day for the teacher and students. The amount of learning being accomplished is a direct result of how it is being taught and how interesting the material. That is our job as teachers, teach well and make it interesting.

FOOT I'm So Totally, Digitally Close to You

         This article really spoke to me on many different levels. The first is when Thompson is discussing  people's views on sites like Facebook and Twitter. One of the many ideas I share with others about this form of social interaction really shows that I was born 40 years old. On page 2 of his article Thompson says "For many people — particularly anyone over the age of 30 — the idea of describing your blow-by-blow activities in such detail is absurd. Why would you subject your friends to your daily minutiae?" This is really how I have felt about all of these sites for a long time and really still do feel about these sites. I have never really understood, until recently, why these sites were so popular or why they should hold any importance in my life and my career. I couldn't have been more wrong. While I admit I am still not comfortable or even good at speaking through these sites and making connections on them, after reading "I'm So Totally, Digitally Close to You" and after many of the activities in class I see how this could fit in with both. I don't think digital connections should or ever will take the place of face to face interactions, face to face is still the best way to teach and communicate in my mind. However, in the classroom if we utilize the students need to connect using tools they know and enjoy everyday and take advantage of our “ambient awareness” of them, the classroom could be a more exciting place to learn more than we have been able to teach in the past.

        From what I see social sites such as Facebook and Twitter can be great tools in the classroom to get to know everyone in the class and to allow them to get to know you, especially if you are the new teacher. These sites allow you to take a glimpse at things in people's everyday lives that you may not otherwise be able to see.  For example, your student Jane could be going through a hard break up and is randomly bursting into tears during class. If you had been able to read her Facebook status which states the situation, you would not have to ask her in class and would be fully aware of how to handle the situation. This does get complicated when addressing students privacy and how much do you as the teacher really want to know, but there are ways around that too. Like we have discussed many times in class we could easily have the students create a separate account for class use only. Now we are talking about how to use this in the classroom. Again I didn't see any use till recently and even now find my ideas to be weak, so I hope I discover more during the course of this class. However, this gives the students something they know how to use, something they enjoy, and shows them that you are just as multi-modal as they are. Also I really like the multigenre autobiography we did for the class and will probably use this activity as a starter, but the biggest use of these sites I see being good and possible is in the discussions of books. Sometimes in class everyone doesn't get a chance to speak or is too afraid. This medium eliminates the problem of time by allowing them to post anytime before during or after school and eliminates much of the fear of being instantly scrutinized over your comments. And it allows the students to follow more people than they normally would have the brain capacity to, according to Thompson's article. In the article Thompson talks about Shannon Seery and how he followed her blog and what she felt like following others. On the third page Thompson talks about the experience of getting to know your digital friends, "Like many people who live online, she has wound up following a few strangers — though after a few months they no longer feel like strangers, despite the fact that she has never physically met them." If this is the way many people find friendship in strangers, why not in people they see everyday? I believe that online interaction could lead to physical interaction and friendship in school. This could, admittedly this is optimistic, bring together the bully and the victim in friendship. I think this something we can all relate to and hope for.

Grease - We Go Together (Film Version)

Foot Grease

I just saw one of the best productions by the Kent State Drama Department today, GREASE!!!!!!
I really love the movie and have seen it in play form many times but have not yet seen one this good. I really enjoyed the entire experience and really wish I had seen it last weekend so I could get the word out sooner that you should see it if you can. Unfortunately tomorrow is the last showing in the Stump theater on campus. (If anyone doesn't know where that is I can give directions if you need/want.) Tickets are $8 for students $16 for the general public. The theater department puts on two plays a semester and they are almost always good. (So far I have seen Oklahoma!, Grapes of Wrath and Grease.) Hamlet is being performed this April if anyone would like to go. It really is great fun and it helps the theater department if you go see it. As future English teachers I think this opportunity to see another form of literature, especially since this is a multi-modal class, is a great one. Click the link to the theater department above to see what events are coming up if you are interested and explore the site I know many of my friends didn't even know KSU had a theater. And just for fun watch the video above to put you in a good mood with good memories, hopefully, of high school.

My First Project Medium

Vader Dances to Hammer You Can't Touch This Dance: Star Wars weekends 20...

Here something for Star Wars fans. Sorry I'm a total dork.

The Picard Video

I have to much of an obsession with Star Trek. If you like it too here's a great funny video!

Cory Doctorow: Show us your "Little Brother" HOWTOs (BBtv)

This is something I found on YouTube when searching for answers on possibilities for future technology like in Little Brother. Come to find out the author is a Co-Founder of Boing Boing Tv which is a whole series of vids on YouTube. It's interesting to hear the author challenge people to create his imaginings maybe someone could participate who enjoyed the book and its technology.

Foot Bi0

Well... I think this will be my last post tonight because I have to work on the very thing I am discussing, the multigenre autobiography. Mine is going well I have everything gathered and am enjoying the process of remembering all the things I loved and lived for as a kid. I am questioning how far to take my interpretation of the assignment though. We have talked a lot about what to include that has affected our lives such as music, plays, cartoons, tv shows, books, comics, etc. but what about things like sports do they count? Also I am having issues with making mine interesting to watch and easy to upload online. I really want to use a movie making or dvd making program but can't find a way to upload it. If anyone has done this already please help a little I'm sure I could figure it out but I am not sure I have the time to and I really want this to be more interesting than just a project that needs done.

Foot 1Nt3rN3T

After reading both articles involving the internet and Facebook and using both in class I am very interested to find more ways to use the internet and Facebook creatively in my class. I think both of these articles offered a great look into the true purpose of both of these additions to technology and what we as a culture have made it. i think both were made to allow easier and faster communication, luckily this is what we use it for even if it is for trivial daily updates on where we are and where we are going. I am interested to see if the movie The Social Network is anything like the Rolling Stones article. Hopefully I will be able to find out soon. I also found it interesting that both of these articles were in magazines, which are often thought to be simply entertaining. This is proof to me that everything can be used when teaching and that maybe we have been ignoring perhaps our best tools with which to teach.

Foot N3tw0rk3D

I am totally excited about reading Dr. Kist's The Socially Networked Classroom after having done some of his suggested activities in class. I love the new and inventive ways to form groups that we have done recently and will be using them in my classroom. My favorite activity was having us write down names of groups that are famously put together and form groups after figuring out what names go together. This allows the choosing of groups to be completely random and is fun. The other activity that we did on our opinions was a great way to start discussion but isn't very predicable or controllable until you really know your students. It is also a good way to show students how many different opinions there are on every topic. Sometimes it may be good to do this with students once everyone knows each other well to see if they know each other as well as they thought. His could help dispel rumors that are heard within the school or to simply show that people choose what to tell and show you and it isn't always the truth. This could be a useful way to lead into character analysis or a lesson on reading between the lines.

Foot Reading!!!!!

Okay... so... Little Brother... I know I am probably going to get slammed for this but I hated it. It just wasn't the type of relevant problem I am concerned with right now and would prefer not to concern myself with. This novel was well written and very inviting to read, I know because my fiance read it and he never reads anything that isn't Orson Scott Card or Shakespeare. But it simply wasn't me. I found a lot of the novel to be hard to wrap my mind around, such as parts regarding the school's surveillance. I also found it to be a very heavy topic and possibly a frightening topic to some readers. I think I may use this in the classroom but only as a choice read. I wouldn't force someone to read this.

On another note it really did a good job of illuminating some key issues in multi-modal literature. We are always trying to come up with new innovative ways to keep students entertained and learning but often it simply turns into them teaching us. When we want to use different formats to teach we need to make sure we know about the technology we use. In Little Brother the adults in the school seemed clueless when it came to the technology the students were using. This can't happen if we want to be multi-modal in our classrooms. On a good note this novel showed a good way to involve technology without using it, read a story about it!!! It's a great idea but I don't know that this was the best book for it. I have not had a good chance to look at Doctorow's blog and hope it offers some clarity on his writting. I would love to try another piece by him to see if I like it better.

Louis Armstrong - Hello Dolly Live

Foot HR

I almost forgot I've been listening and watching a lot of Harlem Renaissance music lately and found this vid of Louis Armstrong, one of the all time best and my favorite jazz musician, and found it very interesting what some of the comments were that accompanied the vid. Check it out here then look at it on youtube and see how far America has really come in acceptance with the comments people left.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmfeKUNDDYs

Foot {M3NtA1}

So illness, exhaustion and extreme homework overload have kept me from posting till now, (sorry to all of those following me and hoping to comment for our grades), but at least all of these things have given me plenty of time to do plenty of non-involvement in pop culture. I have been lucky enough to catch the final chapter in one of my favorite movie series, Saw, and that's about all and I totally suggest watching it. In the book department I have read a few interesting novels for my classes but nothing that really sticks out in my mind as great. The best thing I have read so far though was the story of Eminem (the rapper) in Rolling Stones this month. Nothing shocking in it but it was very interesting to see how things began with him especially knowing he is one of the best rappers out now in my opinion and has had a very interesting career. I'm hooked on Nikki Minaj right now and also find myself listening to a lot of 80s music, probably because of the autobiography we have been doing. In any case nothing terribly important or fun in this end of Kent.