teachers college

i recently completed my program in english education. this fall, i will begin teaching 6th grade english at ms 51, william alexander jhs. below, i list the major ideas, methods, and theories that i studied in my education program. i believe that i learned so much in school; however, i also know that i have so much more to learn.


the reading and writing workshop
The workshop method promotes student learning through balanced literacy, or parallel reading and writing instruction. Traditional instruction is wholly directed by teacher lectures and teacher assessment. In contrast, workshop teachers construct a learning workshop for students to acquire, develop, and extend reading and writing skills and strategies. Best practice includes cooperative learning, learning conferences, mini/lesson instruction, strategic reading, and the writing process.


multiple intelligences
Traditional research narrowly defines intelligence as cognitive ability, including logic or reason. However, recent scholarship constructs a more complex definition of intelligence. For example, Howard Gardner contends that individuals have multiple intelligences, including Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Logical, Musical, Verbal, Visual, Naturalist, Existential, and Kinesthetic or spatial intelligence. Multiple intelligences theory has significant implications for education. For example, research confirms that students acquire and process information in very different ways. Teachers, then, can structure lessons and units to meet the interests and needs of diverse students.


reader response
Historical or biographical criticism tries to determine the authentic intention or meaning of an author. Practical or new criticism develops formal, expert readings of an isolated work, or “the text itself.” In contrast to historical criticism and new criticism, reader response theory contends that texts and interpretations are dynamic. Reader response encourages students to uncover process readings, or the unique associations, ideas, and understandings that readers develop while reading. Reader response theory rejects authoritative or final readings of text. Rather, it contends that reading is a transaction between the culture, environment, and psychology of a reader and a text.


strategic reading
Research demonstrates that strong readers use supportive reading strategies to process and understand texts. Reading strategies are like carpenter tools: we use different reading tools for different reading work. For example, we apply reading strategies to our text in order to clarify content, connect understanding, and analyze or evaluate issues, problems, and meanings. Specific reading strategies include analyze, clarify, infer, evaluate, predict, question, and visualize.


scaffolding
Traditional assessment identifies activities and functions that students can learn or perform independently. However, Lev Vygotsky maintains that assessment should also include a zone of proximal development, or the activities and functions that students can learn with supportive assistance. Scaffolding is the specific assistance or instruction that helps students learn a target concept or skill. Teachers design strong scaffolding for beginning learners. However, scaffolding should slowly recede as students progressively apply skills or strategies without supportive assistance.


literature circles
Literature circles, or book clubs, are student centered groups that read and discuss literature. Circles promote active reading by encouraging students to select and discuss texts that they are genuinely interested in. Students can be accountable for reading through consistent small group discussions, prepared writing responses, and cumulative research project. Literature circles often define temporary task roles for students in group discussions. For example, a student might specifically focus on group questions, connections or images.


genre study
Genre study is the focused study of reading and writing categories, or types. For example, the class will read shared or model texts to help identify the features and purpose of specific genres. Genre study might be organized by culture, history, topic, or style. For example, a short fiction story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez might be classified as short fiction, Latin American fiction, contemporary fiction, or magical realism.


personal learning
Personal learning activities encourage students to connect academic, classroom learning to their personal ideas and experiences. Consistent personal learning activities promote meaningful reflection and foster an inclusive classroom community. Research also demonstrates that personal learning can increase student interest, participation, and achievement.


to be finished:
readers' theater
critical theory
authentic assessment
media literacy
backwards planning: understanding by design
grammar in context
differentiated instruction
constructivism
portfolio assessment
mini/lesson
rubric
the reading workshop
the writing workshop
gifted and talented education


suggested reading

in the middle, by nancie atwell
the literature workshop, by sheridan blau
literature as exploration, by louise rosenblatt
inside out, by dan kirby, dawn lattimer kirby and tom liner
the personal creed project, by john mcrae
teaching grammar in context, by constance weaver
strategic reading, by jeffrey wilhelm
mini-lessons for literature circles, by harvey daniels