Ashley+Davis

My name is Ashley Davis and I'm from Westminster, South Carolina. I am a senior at Clemson University studying Secondary Education with an emphasis in English. I am a full-time student, and I enjoy hiking in the mountains on the weekends and spending time with family and friends. Teaching has always been my goal, and over the years, my aspirations have matured and developed into a single desire: I want to help students find confidence in reading and writing. Throughout my life, novels have served as tools of exploration and insight. As a future teacher, I want to share my enthusiasm with others.

=**Unit Overview**=

For my //Macbeth// unit, I want my students to trace the making of a tyrant, and how betrayal and ambition cause unhappiness and discontent. I want my students to be able to relate the human experience present in //Macbeth// to our contemporary society. It’s important for students to be able to identify the character changes of Macbeth, and how external and internal forces influence human choices in detrimental ways. For their final enterprise they will create an alternate ending for //Macbeth// by writing an original screenplay as creative, responsive, and professional writers. During the writing process they will work alongside their peers, building a constructive literary community that respects the opinions, writing techniques, and voices of others.

Throughout my unit I want my students to come to the understanding that literature has different purposes that apply to our contemporary culture. Shakespeare's themes and evocative issues are still present in our society today, despite the presence of a language gap. My goal is to help my students decipher his language by relating it to their own lives while also absorbing Shakespeare's central themes that revolve around human choices, such as ambition, betrayal, and madness.

=**My Unit Objectives (Work in Progress)**=

Unit Objectives 12th Grade British Literature //The Tragedy of Macbeth//

**RSL** Students will be able to analyze the development of themes.
 * Students will identify several major themes or central ideas in //The Tragedy of Macbeth// and analyze how they are related to one another.
 * Students will create a timeline of themes in relation to the play’s plot and characters, and how the themes build off of one another and change.

**RSIT** Students will be able to summarize historical documents. Students will be able to compare the effectiveness and purpose behind different historical documents/mediums. Students will be able to critique a play. Students will be able to generate an original screenplay. Students will be able to execute group discussions. Students will be able to create multimedia presentations. Students will be able to infer the meaning of unfamiliar words through context clues.
 * Students will research historical documents that relate to the themes in //The Tragedy of Macbeth// and summarize their findings to the class.
 * Students will connect the historical context surrounding Shakespeare’s play and its content, including the author’s purpose.
 * RSW **
 * After reading //The Tragedy of Macbeth//, students will create their own ending that can take place during the time of Shakespeare or in our contemporary American culture.
 * SLS **
 * Students will work in pairs or in groups on several occasions on a specific discussion question that they will share with the class as a whole.
 * LS **

=**My Educational Philosophy (Draft of Rationale)**=

My Educational Philosophy: Fostering Literary Communities
As a future educator, I want to organically incorporate the English Language Arts into my classroom by encouraging my students to perceive themselves as authors within a literary community. By valuing the educational theories upheld by Lev Vygotsky, Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, and Bruce Novak, I hope to forge an interactive, comfortable, and enthusiastic educational space with my students where they can openly engage with texts and learn more about themselves in relation to the events and issues occurring around the globe. My ultimate goal is for my students to feel that they have a meaningful voice, and I want to help them acquire the skills needed to effectively recall meaning, analyzing information, and exercise their own creative thoughts and concepts. To achieve this goal, I plan on implementing enterprises that require students to enter in a professional sphere as writers, performers, and productive members of society.

Literature offers universal truths that the students can relate to even if they are unfamiliar with the text’s setting or its historical events. I believe literature should be viewed as an engaging medium that fosters greater thinking while concurrently modeling how to employ creative writing; without realizing it, students learn how to write, how to feel empathy, and how to relate to others who are different by exploring literature’s accessible worlds. When paired with informational texts, literature becomes an experience that influences the students to the point where they are different after reading a novel, short story, or poem. When reading //The Tragedy of Macbeth//, I want my students to realize how ambition continues to shape our world’s political spectrum, and how tyrants and dictators feed off its appealing energy. In order to accomplish this, my students need to be exposed to real events that have happened around the world that relate to the classic story of //Macbeth//. This also enables the students to act as professionals researching about a text’s contents.

Most professional writers do not solely read and research, but they perform and create using the information that they have gained. With the intent of bettering the world, writers seek to expand upon the human experience, including its failings and achievements. I want my students to place themselves into the position of the authors that they read in class, which is a part of the connectives stage discussed in Wilhelm and Novak’s //Teaching Literacy for Love and Wisdom: Being the Book and Being the Change.// However, they must also gain a sense of confidence that supports what they have to say, allowing them to share their ideas with peers; an important component of the English Language Arts is for students to gain speaking and listening skills. When reading //Macbeth//, I hope that my students will acquire evocative opinions that encourage class discussions and debates, and I want them to step into the play and act out the scenes, morphing into Shakespeare’s characters and their subsequent dilemmas; effective literature requires the audience to participate in its larger, thought provoking questions.

Lastly, communication requires an understanding of language and its conventions, so through the process of understanding, breaking down, and digesting a work of literature, students are exposed to the many forms of language; texts are snapshots into the morphological aspect of language, and as models, they represent how to spell, structure sentences, and use proper grammar. As pre-professional writers, students should also write continuously, whether it is informal or formal writing. I believe that they need sufficient practice, but it should not feel like tedious work. Through the execution of enterprises, writing should become a natural step in the learning process that the students no longer dread or groan over. I want them to feel empowered by writing and reading, and realize that literature has an enormous social and cultural impact on the world.



Performance Expectations Guide (PEG)

Rewriting Ambition

// The Tragedy of Macbeth // – An Original Screenplay


 * Overview **

Shakespeare’s //The Tragedy of Macbeth// reveals the destructive tendencies of ambition. Macbeth and his wife fall victim to their own paranoia and drive for power, and as a result, they both lose their connection to reality before ultimately losing their lives. Now, it’s time to write your own ending to the play. You will work in groups of 4-5 for this project that will take place over the next two weeks. Together, you will write a screenplay that transforms Shakespeare’s iconic conclusion.

Successful screenplays incorporate methods and creative process utilized by professional writers. Before beginning this assignment, review what you have learned about screenwriting by going through your class notes and in-class activities. Then, meet with your group and decide how you want to deviate away from Act V’s ending, as well as how you are going to build up to your conclusion of the play. It is important to review what happens in Act V, such as the setting, plot, characters, tone, and overall purpose or effect on the audience. After you have revisited the play and mapped out your unique timeline of events, it’s time to decide who your characters are going to be and what events or important moments of dialogue they are going to introduce or advance. To do this, you will need to first sketch out your ideas using the handout provided. Then, you will create a storyboard that brings your play to life. When it is time to create your storyboard, you will then write out your screenplay’s dialogue. Your group will present your storyboard to the class. If you want to go beyond what is required, you are welcome to film your screenplay and present it to the class in addition to your storyboard.
 * Game Plan **


 * Common Core State Standards That Are Addressed in This Project **

Students will be able to:
 * analyze character and plot development (RSL)
 * critique a play (RSIT)
 * apply skills gained from informational texts (RSIT)
 * generate an innovative screenplay (RSW)
 * create a multimedia presentation that correlates with their writing (SLS)
 * Students will be able to infer the meaning of unfamiliar words through context clues (LS)


 * Calendar **

Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Week 4: Week 5: Week 6:
 * Introduction to Unit and Overview of Major Assignments
 * Introduction to Shakespeare’s Life and Culture
 * Cyber Guide Into Shakespeare's Society
 * Jigsaw Group Activity (Informational Learning and Sharing)
 * Beginning Shakespeare - Read Alouds and Modeling
 * Act 1/Act 2
 * Beginning Macbeth's Character Trace Activity and Plot Timeline
 * Character Webs - Understanding Complex Relationships
 * "Tracing a Word from the Play" - //Shakespeare Set Free//
 * Making and Sharing Speculations (Journal)
 * Act 3/Act 4
 * Roundtable Discussion
 * Open Mind Activity or Body Biography
 * Rewriting Dialogues - "What If?"(Changing and Substituting Key Characters)
 * Returning to Shakespeare's Culture (Informational Texts)
 * Presentations
 * Act 5
 * Completing and Reviewing Macbeth's Character Trace Activity and Plot Timeline
 * Revisit Speculations Journal
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Act 5 Movie Clip
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Peer Responses
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Beginning Major Enterprise - Original Screenplay
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Informational Texts Regarding Screenwriting
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Getting Into Shakespeare's Head Activity
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Writing Workshop
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Continuing/Completing Major Enterprise
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Writing Workshop Continued
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Writing Screenplays and Storyboards
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Screenplay Presentations

Resource Palette

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">**Teacher Links:** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">This website offers sample lesson plans and other sites for English educators. There are twenty two pages with dozens of links to other sites that have either fun games, grammar lessons, or model presentations that can be used when preparing a lesson play. Or, if a teacher just needs to brush up on what he or she knows, then they can use this site to refresh their memory. In addition, there are online collections of mythological works and tips for most forms of writing. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">If students need extra practice with grammar, this is a good website to use to make your own, tailored think sheets to give them. It has a large collection of activities for teachers to use. There are also articles available related to teaching English Language Arts, and how to form trusting relationships between the students and the teacher. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">For more potential lesson plans or warm up activities for the high school level, this website has structured ideas for the following categories: “Language,” “Communication,” “Writing,” “Research,” “Logic,” “Informational Text,” “Media,” and “Literature.”
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 * //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Macbeth //****<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Resources **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 12px;">As a companion to the text, this website offers detailed lesson plans for Shakespeare’s play. It also has background information and illustrations that can be used to engage students and get them interested in the play.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Text Resources: **
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 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Folger Shakespeare Library: Shakespeare Set Free. New York: Washington Square Press, 1993. Print.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">This is an image of a movie poster for //Macbeth//. It can serve as a model for students when they begin designing and writing their own screenplay for the play’s ending. They will also have the option to create a movie poster that correlates with their screenplay’s content and primary tension. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">This is another movie poster that can serve as a potential model for students. It also reflects several of the play’s essential themes, as well as its overall tone. The students can also make speculations about the play based on the images/symbols presented. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">This still image captures one interpretation of the three witches. It illustrates how an author and writer’s vision can come to life in theater. It can also serve as a backdrop for the students as they read //Macbeth//. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Orson Welles’ version of the play captures the conflicted nature of Macbeth and his wife. This provides a face to ambition. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">This is a painting of Shakespeare. However, it adds to the mystery surrounding is life and authenticity as a playwright—a mystery that students may be interested in. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">These images provide a general glimpse into the Globe Theatre’s layout. As a group, they can be used to help students understand how performances were treated during Shakespeare’s time. They can also use the images to contrast how the experience and physical layout of the theater has changed over time.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Images: **
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 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">[[file:mswrede0708/images.jpg|https://mswrede0708.wikispaces.com/file/view/images.jpg/31251719/images.jpg]]

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">This website provides tips on how to analyze and break down Shakespeare’s work. It also has information about Shakespeare’s time and culture. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">This is another website that can be used to help students gain an understanding of Shakespeare’s time period. It gives a brief history of the Elizabethan age, along with the history of the Globe Theatre. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">This website serves as a virtual guide into the Globe Theatre. It allows you to choose the perspective you want to view.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Informational Links **
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Broadcasted on A&E, this film adaptation of the play follows the consequences of ambition through the character of Macbeth and his wife. If I were to use it in my unit, I would only show select scenes that appropriately follow the screenplay.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Film Adaptations **
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">A Performance of Macbeth //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> (1978)

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">This free website allows the public to create their movie posters. You can upload images and type out your text, including credits.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Online Tools **
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=EdSec 324=

//Ashley Davis - August. 31, 2011//
Teaching for love and wisdom motivates students by encouraging them to express their opinions and ideas in relation to a text’s themes or moral tensions; it is a way of life and thinking that is translated into the classroom. Teachers who foster original thought have the ability to strengthen a student’s confidence, which is vital to their attitude towards learning.

I believe it is possible to teach English and literacy for love and wisdom because every individual has their own views and ethics that can be persuaded out of them through the right instruction and guidance. As a subject, English contains diverse ways of expression whether through writing, debates, the formation of “essential” and “existential” questions, and initial reactions to a work of literature (11). It is important for the teacher to embody excitement and enthusiasm so that the students can feel comfortable to take risks and learn more about themselves; English should be a process of self-awareness and expression through the investigation of novels, plays, and short stories as the students connect to certain characters and react to controversial themes. Love and wisdom promote passion and interest in the area of literacy. Motivation plays a significant role in student success. Without the desire to read or write, a student’s potential cannot be recognized. By learning about the students and their unique personalities, a teacher can begin to grab their attention by actively pursuing ways to incorporate their interests within the assignment or literary piece. However, I believe that the basics of writing and reading should not be ignored. There will be some students who have not acquired the necessary skills to express themselves, or have been taught that their judgment does not matter. This causes teaching for love and wisdom to be a difficult task at times, as every student is different in their approach to the subject of English. Educators need to create a balance between the technical aspect of English while holding onto the goal of seizing the students’ willingness to learn.

=EdSec 324=

//Ashley Davis - September. 7, 2011//
Reading Reflection for September. 8, 2011 What is English? Please share in your own words how the field of high school English has evolved over the years. What were the major conferences and/or leaders who have influenced the field. What is it today? Do you think we should change the title of our discipline to Personal Studies? Why or why not? What would you like to see the field of English become in the years ahead?

English is an area of study that is constantly evolving and adapting to the social and political movements that pressure and mold our democratic nation. The term, “English”, represents language, literacy, and the ability to abstract meaning from a text while applying “moral skills” (24). As a result, the subject of English is incredibly extensive and general. I believe the goals of English define its existence within the classroom. However, those goals have been dissected and fragmented according to what educators believe the subject’s most beneficial objectives are; is it important to teach self- growth and diversity or maintain the ideals of Americanization and homogenous nationalistic attitudes?

The Dartmouth seminar in 1966 presented the idea of “personal freedom” that was added to the list of goals for the subject of English, suggesting that by promoting knowledge through experience rather than “past inheritances”, we can “[cultivate]” “personal growth” (26). However, this can strengthen the emphasis on the individual rather than fostering the notion diversity “attaining new unity”, which is presented in the novel, //What Is English?// (32). In the 1980’s, the educational responsibility of American citizens became a key component of English, where the student’s ability of communication through writing and expression developed into an objective (30). It is our duty to obtain the necessary skills to compete within the international market, diminishing the power of spirituality and “softness” within the classroom (39). After our nation has witnessed tragedies, “joy” and openness, as necessary elements in becoming connected with the literary world, have slowly remerged; through openness and softness, educators can create a safe environment for expression that is translated to the art of writing and reading (47). As a functioning society, we tend to nurture our youth in ways that will promote healthy lifestyles and fruitful experiences (58-59). Like all other subjects, English is a formal term that embodies success and growth, while attempting to obtain a balance between knowledge and wisdom.

In my experience, English has been simplified and carved into a single emphasis on academics and the pursuit of academic mastery; I have been taught to strive for improvement in regards to the state standards and what is deemed necessary for me to learn. The spiritual sense of English was lacking throughout my high school years. Our class discussions were limited to the content and major themes of a work of literature, rather than the sharing of our individual feelings and opinions. I don’t think that the title of English should be changed to “Personal Studies”, because “Personal Studies” refers to an individual process. Learning should be a group activity where we can learn from each other while serving as mentors. Also, the term "English" represents a language with its own literary history, which is significant to the nation's culture. Everything we learn in an English class will be signified through our actions and outwardly approaches to reading and writing. It's not necessary to highlight and mark everything we learn and place it into a neat and simple title. We learn too much in our English classes to do that. I would like to see English undertake a more nurturing approach to literature and literacy in the future. It’s important to share feelings and outlooks on life while building distinct voices, and as a result, inspiring students to pursue knowledge and wisdom.

=EdSec 324=

//Ashley Davis - September. 13, 2011//
Reading Reflection for September. 15, 2011 What is meant by the evocative dimension of a literary transaction? Explain what this is and give examples. Then, begin to imagine at least two ways that you could encourage the evocative dimension within your future English classes. Do you see any evidence within the field that the evocative dimensions is being encouraged within literary transactions and instruction?

The evocative dimension of literary transaction stresses student engagement with a literary text. Personal relevance and previous experiences allow students to connect with a piece of literature. Instead of reading a novel or play based on the goal of refining mechanical and critical analysis skills, students should have the freedom to relate their own lives to the topic that is being discussed in class. Immersion is the central purpose. Immersion creates a pleasing experience that promotes student activity; if you are interested in what you are reading, you are more likely cooperate with others and form meaningful theories together. Frontloading is a supportive method that encourages student engagement through carefully planned activities. However, the activities must be loose enough in structure so that students can come to their own conclusions in a uniquely creative way. “Frontloading accesses the prior experience, values, and feelings of the reader so that these resources can be used to evoke the textual world and then converse with and learn from it” (80). The evocative dimension is the application of the reader’s personal life with the text’s characters, setting, and overall plot. Through the process of identifying similarities and differences between personal experiences and incidents portrayed in a literary work, students become aware of their own identity in relation to the world as a whole. When immersed, students become aware of the emotions behind the words, and then they can work to understand the literature’s deeper meanings.

An example of the evocative dimension of literary transaction includes relating movie characterization with a novel’s protagonist, which was an activity that I observed in my cooperating teacher’s class. The students had read //Frankenstein// over the summer break, and as an “activator” at the start of class, the students were asked to write a paragraph comparing the basic plot of //Frankenstein// with the premise of an action movie such as Iron Man or The Hulk. This exercise resulted in similar characterization between Frankenstein and the Hulk as the students were given the freedom to relate a potentially interesting movie that they had seen with a classical text. They became energetic when reviewing their paragraphs with the class, because they were familiar with the movies that they chose to compare the novel to, and the social conflicts in //Frankenstein// became more apparent. Another example is using songs that the students choose where emotions are expressed, such as love in the activity demonstrated by Jeff, that allow the class to determine what elements make up a feeling in relation to a text’s theme or plot (79). I remember participating in a similar activity in high school, where we chose a love song and constructed a presentation that related the song with a poem that we had read. The ability to choose a song that I enjoyed gave me an incentive to understand the poem more thoroughly, and it helped me understand the poem’s context.

One way that I could encourage the evocative dimension of literary transaction in my own English classes would be to ask my students to take pictures of the items that they feel are essential to their life, and then relate the pictures that they take with the lifestyle of Okonkwo and his people which is represented in Chinua Achebe’s //Things Fall Apart//, or any novel where our culture can be connected to another. Another activity could be to ask my students to create a list of favorite leisure activities along with why they enjoy doing them, allowing them to define what “fun” is. Then, their lists can be applied to a novel or play’s position on personal freedoms and limitations, such as in George Orwell’s //1984//. They can become more aware of society’s influence on cultural entertainment based on what they personally like doing in their spare time.

In my field experience, I have seen the institution of the evocative dimension of literary transaction. During my previous visit, my cooperating teacher relied on individual interests and previous knowledge to fuel her discussion on what the class had read over their summer break. The students worked in small groups where they could discuss the relevance of the social influences in //Frankenstein// with continued social conflicts that occur in our time. They were given the independence to openly discuss the novel and its complicated issues.

=EdSec 324=

//Ashley Davis - September. 20, 2011//
Reading Reflection for September. 22, 2011 Do you agree with the Harold Brodkey quote at the beginning of Chapter 5?

Reading is an intimate act, perhaps more intimate than any other human act, I say this because of the prolonged (or intense) exposure of one mind to another. Brodkey

As you think about this quote, please reflect on how the Connective Dimension of the Aesthetic, Transactional Response relates to it if at all. Please share at least two ways that you might encourage your future students to connect to the implied authors of texts. Are you seeing examples of ways that English teachers help students connect to authors?

I agree with Harold Brodkey’s quote because we learn a lot about ourselves through our emotional responses to a work of literature. Even if we are unaware of the connected bond between reader and author, the sharing of intelligences and perspectives tend to have an impact on our lives. We become more open to new insights, and sometimes that exposure becomes a stable goal or philosophy. Intimacy in relation to literature suggests a sensitive relationship where personal interests and beliefs are shared or rejected by the author, allowing an enlightening experience to occur. Our minds are personal spaces filled with memories, experiences, feelings, and knowledge that influence our way of life. When reading a loved novel, the reader’s mind is in direct contact with the author’s as similar beliefs are developed or transformed. Our reactions after reading a written text can surprise us, showing us that we have extracted a deeper meaning to an idea or situation. I like the idea of authors as mentors. There is a dependent stream of learning. Connective Dimension of the Aesthetic stresses understanding literature’s impact on readers, and why we love certain authors. Love is a powerful and complicated feeling, and for an audience to love an author as a person, and as a writer, there must be a personal correlation to the novel’s characterization or to the presented insights or themes. If a student undergoes the subtle process of falling in love with, or understanding, an author, they can practice critical writing skills and form conclusions about the author’s writing techniques by using evidence to support their arguments.

I like the idea of hot seats being used in the classroom, where students are placed in the author’s role, allowing them to get into his/her mind. This exercise allows the students to become more aware of the text in relation to the author’s influence, whether focusing on why the author structured the work in a particular way, or why characters do the things they do. In my own classroom I would set up similar activities. I could also ask them to create a personal ad for the authors, so that the students can point out distinctive characteristics and the author’s personality by using the novel as evidence. They could also include possible hobbies, traits, and interests. Another activity would be to compare two different texts by the same author, and note key differences in authorship and personality, illustrating the significance of the use of details and diction in specific pieces of literature. In my field experience, my cooperating teacher and her class are reading //Beowulf//, and she asked the students to determine the impact of the author’s diction in relation to the overall theme and tone of the work. She asked them why they thought the author used darker words, and how it made them feel. Whenever beginning a new text, she always gives background information about the author, presenting him as an authoritative figure rather than passive presence.

=EdSec 324=

//Ashley Davis - September. 27, 2011//
Reading Reflection for September. 29, 2011 After you have read and reflected up "The Reflective Dimension" of the literary transaction, please share how you would encourage the entire literary transactional approach (guiding students through the evocative, connective and reflective dimensions of the literary meaning-making process) for the book Posted! No Trespassing! that you were given in class. How could you begin to develop a unit that would help students connect their personal experiences to the text? How would you help them make connections with the author, the zoology professor at Dartmouth, Professor Griggs? Then, how would you help them use the wisdom they have accrued to transform their worlds? How will you help them "live more artfully and meaningfully in the real world?" Elaborate as fully as you desire.

When introducing //Posted! No Trespassing!//, I would ask the students to write a couple of sentences describing what they believe ownership is, and how it affects the lives of others. Then, in small groups, they would discuss their definitions and why they chose certain characteristics for the term. The small groups would then focus on the different types of ownership, such as the possession of property or self. After the groups finish, everyone would discuss the issue of privacy and protection while focusing on experiences that they have had where others have tampered with or reduced things or ideas that the students believe they own, including their beliefs and personal spaces. I would show them a video clip where a natural property has been damaged due to deforestation or human interference, along with the consequences of the interference. My goal would be to get the students thinking about who owns what and by what rights, and how actions have more consequences than originally perceived.

It’s important for the students to become familiar with Leland Griggs and the illustrator, Russell Jewell. Before reading, I would use a multimedia presentation to show images of Russell Jewell’s illustrations paired with sounds of nature, and allow the students to orally respond with their reactions and feelings. I would then show pictures of Leland Griggs spending time on his beloved property while providing background information about the author and his career. After reading, I would ask the students why they think he chose to end the story with a potential conflict: the preservation of his animated and rich property. Then, they would write one paragraph resembling Griggs’ writing style.

For the reflective dimension of the lesson, I would ask the students to work in pairs and create a No Trespassing sign that involves illustrations of things or ideas that should be preserved and appreciated. Illustrations could be of their bedrooms, personal belongings, backyard, or anything that they believe is precious and worth protecting. I would ask them the following questions: what would it feel like if someone messed with their belongings, and how would you react? Is it important to respect others ad their privacy? Nature does not have a voice, so is it our responsibility to preserve it? I would encourage them to think about what is worth saving and who needs help in gaining a voice. My goal would be for them to become more aware of how some decisions, such as spraying a forest with chemicals, can lead to detrimental results. They need to keep an open mind about all possible consequence in relation to their lives and morals.

In my field experience I haven’t noticed a lot of activities that stress the literary transactional approach. My cooperating teacher does begin every lesson with a free writing exercise where a prompt asks the students a question that relates to whatever they are reading, and afterward, the students can volunteer their answers. My cooperating teacher also gives background information about the author, and how those details may affect the text and writing techniques. At the end of every class period, there is another individual writing activity where the students summarize what they learned that day.

=EdSec 324=

//Ashley Davis - October. 4, 2011//
Reading Reflection for October. 6, 2011 In the chapter on Aesthetic Education, what were the qualities of the four teachers who were striving to teach for love and wisdom that you most admired and would like to embody?

Sarah Veigel maintains a personal connection with all of her students, even remembering the details of their present life. For me, this is an important aspect of teaching. Students are not bodies sitting in desks taking up space and mechanically completing assignments. They are individuals with interests, strengths, weaknesses, values, personalities, opinions, and every other characteristic that makes us human. Sarah prizes their individuality and works to make them feel at home in her classroom. She tries to offer opportunities that allow growth and personal development as the students become more aware of their “better selves” (162). The “I-You” interaction is present in her teaching methods. The students in her classes are allowed to lead discussions and to express themselves while Sarah listens to what they have to say and takes notes; she is an observer, and uses her observations to help her students grow.

Andrew Porter promotes exploration and creativity through a diverse and interesting curriculum based on inquiry. I like that he focuses on thorough planning while remaining open to new possibilities; he is flexible in his instruction (164). Nonstandardized activities are used to grasp the students’ attention, investigate the deeper material, and allow reflection. Andrew encourages positive criticism, whether written down or orally. Personally, I know that I need good positive criticism to improve, and I want my students to have interaction with constructive comments or ideas that could better them and their academic abilities and techniques of expression.

As a democratic philosopher teacher, Debra Smith furthers her students’ knowledge of love and wisdom by preparing them for the real world. She stresses that outside of school the world is not as supportive as one might hope, but encourages them to connect the meaning they make in class to how they can better themselves and their environment. The process of connecting to one’s inner life and true self are vital to Debra’s philosophy. I think it’s important that students are aware of who they are so that they can expand and cultivate healthy values and goals. If they can do this, then they have obtained love and wisdom.

Rachel Bear’s classroom is a changing setting that allows flexibility and adaptation. She knows what her students need to become better, and she recognizes that she learns just as much from them about herself. Accomplishing challenges is a task for both teacher and students; they are partners in their progress and understanding of love and wisdom. Like the other three teachers, she is incredibly organized in her instruction, and learns from her mistakes while modifying her own philosophy on a regular basis. Support is the backbone of her instruction. Rachel understands that the students need formal or informal support that can guide them through a certain way of thinking or questioning.

In my field experience, my cooperating teacher embodies aspects of each of these teachers. He/she is aware of her students’ personal and academic needs, and recognizes them as unique. She listens to them while they are working in groups, and constructs exercises that further their understanding of a text or theme while relating their responses to their own lives.


 * Unit Rationale**

//What defines a culture? What do we learn about ourselves by observing and participating in our own microculture? What are the effects of assimilation, and how should differing cultures interact with each other? What can cultures accomplish, and how do they influence our lives?//

I want my students to develop a strong sense of who they are while becoming more accepting of those who are different from them. I believe there are many cultures within America that should be recognized and appreciated, along with the achievements and social progressions that have shaped our own modern day culture. I also want my students to realize their importance within the culture that they relate to. I want them to be aware that they have the power to move mountains and to make changes, because without strong, motivated individuals, a culture cannot survive or progress. I want to incorporate some theoretical essays, some short stories (possibly by Hemingway and Sherman Alexie), narratives or poems that illustrate social acceptance and expression, and articles that highlight America’s complex system of cultures. I’m still deciding what novels I want to include in this unit.

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Ashley Davis - October. 11, 2011
Reading Reflection for October. 13, 2011 In the chapter on Aesthetic Democracy, the opening quote is this, "I've never been in a classroom that was a real community before". Is this your situation? Why or why not? What would it take for the "third space" to come into being, a space "in which the students took in one another's life"? Be as detailed as you can be at this point in your career. How do we help students move the third space from the inward to the outward world?

My English classes in high school were the first classes where I felt completely comfortable and that my peers and I were a part of a community. In the 10th grade, my English teacher encouraged creative projects and discussing larger issues as a class. I had a voice in the classroom and my teacher was respectful and open to our opinions and ideas. I remember completing a lot of group projects and later presenting the projects to the class as a whole, allowing us to discuss how we interpreted a text or what we believed the author was expressing. It was a student driven class, where the teacher did not dominate the structure and content of the course. She even moved up with my class to the 11th grade, and taught AP. She genuinely cared for us, and I had the opportunity to reflect on deeper meanings with my peers and her as well. The class did not feel rigid, but it was not too loose, there was a hint of structured guidance behind our activities.

I believe that the “third space” can be fostered through class discussions and a welcoming environment. If the students have the chance to express their concerns or thoughts and receive guidance and feedback from their peers and the authors that they are reading, they will become more sensitive to the concerns and questions of others. Mutual respect is vital. Also, by allowing the students to work in groups or pairs, they can learn from each other and hear the unique outlooks and interpretations from others. However, it’s important the students continue to work with other students that they don’t normally group with so that they can gain a larger understanding of the class’ personality as a whole. The students should be given the opportunity to help organize or choose the literature and texts for a unit, while not dominating the planning process. If they believe they have an influence in the class and its direction, they will feel like they are working together to achieve a great understanding of a deeper meaning that they feel is necessary to explore. Most extracurricular programs incorporate student cooperation with the program’s activities and goals in some shape or form. Also, I really like the idea of the class building something together, such as the mural that Christine Phillip’s sixth-grade class created together (178). High school English classes could perform a skit or play for the school that they have been reading and investigating in class. They could also build a collage together, where pictures of the larger themes they discussed are put on display for the rest of the school to look and ponder at.

My cooperating teacher includes a lot of group centered activities, and the class always returns as a whole to reflect on what the students conversed about in their groups. When learning how to successfully write a paper, the class and the teacher worked on forming and writing a paper together, and did so step-by-step together, working as a team before they worked on writing their own individual papers.


 * Unit Text Selections**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Zora Neale Hurston – //Their Eyes Were Watching God// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">I want my students to receive a snapshot into the rural country’s culture after the abolition of slavery. The novel provides an example of southern dialect and comfortable language, which still exists today. The domestic roles portrayed in Hurston’s novel can be linked and compared to Harper Lee’s //To Kill a Mockingbird//, as well as existing racial roles. My goal is that my students will make connections with the modern version of southern culture with that of both Hurston and Lee’s texts, while being exposed to the responsibilities, values, and motivations that shape and guide the character of Janie Crawford.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Harper Lee – //To Kill a Mockingbird// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">As another southern text, Harper Lee’s novel will flip the racial perspectives as the students transition away from //Their Eyes Were Watching God//. I want them to connect the two novels by identifying similarities between the narrators’ cultures, including their dialect, domestic responsibilities and boundaries, and the formation of self acknowledgment and identity. The students will have the opportunity to closely analyze the two texts as they form social observations and indentify effect writing strategies that both Lee and Hurston apply. //To Kill a Mockingbird// offers deep insights of metaphors and role reversal.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Joseph Bruchac – “The Sky Tree”, “The Earth Only”, “Coyote Finishes His Work” <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">These creation myths create a sense of Native American culture while recognizing the culture’s emphasis and appreciation of nature. These short stories and poems offer a creative outlet for the students. They can write their own creation myths following the three texts we read and by imitating the author’s writing style and organization.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Navarre Scott Momaday – //The Way to Rainy Mountain// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">This story utilizes many forms of literary devices that the students can investigate and connect to the deeper meaning behind the text. Nature serves as a vital element in the classification and construction of the Native American homeland. Momaday’s work illustrates the transformation of the Native Americans, along with their cultural traditions and domestic foundation. Feasts and celebrations, homes, and the importance of grandmothers and the elderly are described in detail, providing a personal and intimate account of Native American culture.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Carl Sandburg – “Chicago” <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">“Chicago” illustrates urban life and the individuals who oil and maintain its foundation. Sandburg takes on a critical view of the city and its “wicked” lifestyle, offering it as a forced progression that feeds off of human activity and the city’s clouds of smoke. While presenting the city in a negative sense, he also celebrates its existence and compares it to youth. The poem, as an urban text, strongly contrasts with Lee and Hurston’s novels.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Leila Christenbury – “The Harlem Renaissance” <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">This essay depicts the context of the Harlem Renaissance and its role in the formation of American culture. Blues and jazz are highlighted as Harlem undergoes an “explosion of creativity”. The African American population experience new ways of expression that influence and transform every race and culture within America. Today’s popular music can be contrasted to the urban sound of jazz, presenting an example of a determined and successful cultural component that is very much alive in today’s world. The essay provides an occasion for the students to share their favorite works of music and why the songs they choose speak to them.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Zora Neale Hurston – “From Dust Tracks on a Road” <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Hurston’s short story allows the students to recognize the differences of her writing techniques as they read and interpret her diverse works. The story follows a young girl’s experiences of school life, literary success, and death. I believe students will be able to connect to the narrator’s life as they reflect on their own culture and family. The short story includes allusions and distinct diction that the students can digest and examine.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Claude Mckay – “America” <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Mckay’s poem directly signifies America culture as overwhelming, judgmental, vigorous, and opportunistic. The poem is rich in literary devices that the students can identify and practice on their own while writing poems of their interpretation of American culture. As a form of expression, the students have the opportunity to connect the poem’s theme and tone to the other works of literature that they would have read for the unit.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Eugene Gloria – “Assimilation” <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Gloria’s poem is an Asian American text, and provides insights on assimilation and its ability to disorient and reduce an individual. Some students may be able to sympathize or relate to the speaker’s shame and acts of concealment as the narrator buries the cultural dish his mother prepared for him as a result of the persistent desire to fit in with the “white kids”. The narrator’s experiences is discreet and its important the students become aware of that the effects of assimilation cannot always be observed and classified; there are indirect consequences that affect an individual’s sensitive identity and personal worth.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Florance Anthony (Ai) – “The Man with the Saxophone”

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//Ashley Davis - October. 25, 2011//
Reading Reflection for October. 27, 2011 How do the teachers cited within the chapter "What Can English Become?" try to help students relate to and love authors? How will you help students do this within the context of your proposed unit?

Each of the teachers in the chapter “What Can English Become?” rely on mentorship and the practice of cooperation as larger questions are asked and explored within the classroom. They all have a goal that influences their instructional styles and methods of teaching while adding a philosophical element to their classrooms; questions such as “how do we cultivate hope and meaning in the midst of fear and questions about meaning?” serve as guiding forces that enable the students to contribute in deep, meaningful thought. They also value the importance of promoting community, personal progress, efficiency, and acceptance; they want their students to develop into confident individuals who are caring and sensitive to others (219). The teachers use methods of reflection so that the students have the opportunity to expand and absorb what has been discussed in class, which allows the quiet and shy students to express themselves. Andrew and Rachel use drama in their classrooms to inspire creative thought as the students play the part of the author while connecting to the texts’ larger themes and suggested questions that relate to the “human condition” (220). The teachers in the chapter emphasize the importance of communication with everyone involved in the education process, including parents, colleagues, and students. It is a team effort and the teachers want to ensure that their students are obtaining the best possible education while remaining open to critiques and productive ideas; we improve by actively seeking ways of bettering ourselves and sharing our findings with others.

In my own unit, I want my students to pick up on the powerful and significant racial, cultural, and social tones that are hidden behind the author’s storytelling. Similar to the teachers cited in the chapter “What Can English Become”, I want to incorporate in-class dramas and reenactments of the author’s personality, opinions, uncertainties, and writing techniques through creative writing and reflection pieces. I also want my unit’s existential questions to hover over everything we read and complete within the duration of nine weeks. The students should be constantly returning to those questions and reflecting on them. I may ask them to keep a journal throughout the unit so that they can continue to write down new ideas, questions, doubts, or theories that they think of as we progress through our literature. Then, for the conclusion of the unit, they can discuss what they wrote in their journals in small groups or as a class as a whole, and if they were able to answer their questions or doubts. As the class moves forward to another unit, the students can return to their journals and reflect on what they learned and theorized while connecting that knowledge and wisdom to the new unit's existential questions. Also, they could participate in an awareness activity where they brainstorm and list occurrences that they read about in the unit’s literature that they have noticed within their own culture, whether its cooking with their family to celebrate a holiday or festival, being criticized for their clothes or homemade food that their parents have made for them, or the music they listen to. I want them to become aware that the social and cultural problems that exist in the novels, short stories, and poems that we read are still existent today, but a lot has changed as well and that they have the potential to continue that change.


 * Unite Resource Palette**

__Canonical Literature__ //Dragonwings// by Laurence Yep Moon Shadow Lee grows up on his family farm in China in the year 1903. After moving to America with his father, Moon Shadow attempts to understand the foreign culture and experiences racism and hostile acts against his family. Laurence Yep’s novel depicts the dark aspects of cultural interactions while relaying a positive message: never give up on who you are. The novel serves as an inspirational piece of literature that the students can learn from.

//Cold Sassy Tree// by Olive Anne Burns A southern novel that incorporates family interactions and rural values that reflect southern culture. The students may be able to relate to the characters and their pastimes, including fishing in the country and walking on train tracks, as well as the qualities of a small community.

//The House on Mango Street// by Sandra Cisneros This novel follows the life of twelve year old Esperanza who is of Mexican-American heritage. Her ideals and interests are depicted within the text, as well as racial exchanges with her neighbors. It is an easy read and that prompts exposure to a culture that is rarely written about.

//The Joy Luck Club// by Amy Tan A collection of narratives that is oriented around mother and daughter conflicts as Chinese immigrant mothers struggle to understand and relate with their American-raised daughters. The complicated relationships emphasis the human aspiration to find cultural parallels and values that can bring individuals closer.

__Supplementary Texts__ Young Adult Literature //The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian// by Sherman Alexie Alexie’s colorful novel depicts the story of a boy, Junior, growing up on an Indian reservation. Junior becomes a bridge between the poor Indian reservation and the local school located outside of the reservation’s boarders, where adolescents come from well off families. Students can learn about cultural reception and the importance for searching for resemblances among those who are drastically different from you, and who are not always receptive of outsiders.

//Freedom’s Children// by Ellen Levine A collection of true stories told by African American teenagers who participated in the movement against racial segregation in the 1950’s and 1960’s. The text provides insight on teenager life in a different America, along with the social obstacles that threatened their sense of peace and identity.

__Children’s Literature__ //Seedfolks// by Paul Fleishman This children’s book tells a story of a little girl and her neighbors as they work together to grow a garden in their city. Each neighbor represents a different heritage and culture, and their cooperation with each other illustrates the potential to find similar interests in values in people you don’t necessarily understand.

//Children of the West: Family Life on the Frontier// by Cathy Luchetti Luchetti’s children book depicts the harsh lifestyles of the children who grew up in the west. They helped their parents maintain the household and surrounding land. The book is a valuable example of America’s early culture as expansion caused children’s roles to match the responsibilities of their parents. The students may be able to relate to the rural lifestyle and domestic roles.

//If You Live With the Indians of the Northwest Coast// by Anne Kamma Kamma’s book follows a simple question-and-answer format. The questions are written from a child’s perspective and ask questions that are related to pre-colonial tribal life. Questions relating to clothing and farming techniques are included. This book would serve as a resource for basic information of what tribal life was like that the students could follow easily.

__Nonfiction Texts__ //The Autobiography of Malcolm X// by Malcolm X The autobiography follows the human rights activists, Malcolm X, and includes his fears and experiences with racial hostility and resistance.

__DVD’s__ //Broken Arrow// (1950) This western movie follows Tom Jeffords as he learns more about the Apache Indians during a ten year long war. He saves the life of an Indian boy, and questions his own understanding of their humanity as he falls in love with their culture. This movie would show the students the benefits of taking the time to learn more about those who you don’t understand, and that we are all human. It also provides an authentic depiction of tribal life.

//The Harlem Renaissance// (2004) This documentary provides detailed information about the Harlem Renaissance and the individuals who contributed to its creative culture, including information about the movement’s music and how it has been incorporated into today’s music. Historians and performers provide commentary. The movie would serve as a way of relating background information while supplying contextual understanding for the students as they read literature that was written during this time period.

//To Kill a Mockingbird// (1962 ) As a classic movie that closely follows Harper Lee’s novel, the students can watch a visual representation of the text. Some students may benefit from observing the movie as the characters and their personalities come to life, allowing the text’s larger themes to become more real and believable.

__Artwork and Images__ <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">[] This painting represents the creative and artistic personality of urban America as jazz and color infiltrated the popular media. The students can form their own predictions and questions about the Harlem Renaissance and urban culture based off of this painting.

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">[] This is a painting of a Native American symbol. It signifies the importance of man in relation to nature, and allows the opportunity for students to compare and contrast it to the creation myths that they will read, along with the art that they see in today’s modern world.

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 14.6667px;">[] A colorful image of Native American traditional dress. The students can note the detail and craftsmanship that defines the festive clothing.

http://obscurity.typepad.com/.a/6a01156e735f12970c013488529a59970c-800wi A photograph of Rainy Mountain, the area where the Kiowa tribe was relocated to in N. Scott Momaday's //The Way to Rainy Mountain.// The photo will provide a visual for the students as they read the book.

__Maps__ []

__Music__ __Websites__
 * Miles Davis – “Move”
 * Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington – “Duke’s Place”
 * John Coltrane – “My Favorite Things”
 * Each song embodies jazz and urban culture that the students can listen to and interpret. The songs provide lively and energetic examples of the personality of popular music that is still existent in today’s admired music.
 * []
 * This website serves as a large resource for Native American culture. It provides images and facts about the lifestyles of the different Indian tribes that inhabited America in the past as well as those that occupy America today. Facts relating to their hairstyles, clothing, home structures, and food are delivered in a simple way that anyone can navigate the site.
 * http://poemhunter.com/claude-mckay/biography/
 * This website provides biographical information on the poet, Claude Mckay. He wrote "America", which the students will analyze.

__Text Summaries__
 * Sparknotes
 * []
 * []
 * The two summaries offer detailed plot breakdown, context information, character lists, and quizzes that the students can take to check their understanding of the text. However, their originality in interpretation and comprehension are important, and the use of the site would be limited.

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//Ashley Davis - November. 1, 2011//
Reading Reflection for November. 3, 2011: How could you use the //Dynamics of Writing// structured process approach to teach for love and wisdom? Please explain in rich detail. Also, explain how you might use this approach in your forthcoming unit. Begin to brainstorm. Finally, are you seeing bits and pieces of the structured process approach to writing within your field experience?

The scenarios described in the //Dynamics of Writing Instruction// illustrate methods that promote student activity and engagement. They require students to refine and practice verbal and written expression through group activities and individual writing. Expression is an important element in teaching love and wisdom. If a student can successfully express themselves, then they are aware of their own personal standpoint on a discussed situation, topic, or assigned subject; they assume an individual awareness as they write to support and explain their thesis and chosen argument while developing an understanding of themselves as effect authors. Self-awareness is the first step in becoming an active member in society. As an individuals’ identity grows, as well as their ability to comment on central matters, humanity develops and becomes more productive. Once students become aware of their weaknesses and strengths in relation to written assignments, students can work to polish and enhance their formal writing skills. Successful writing endorses diverse modes of creativity, allowing students to voice their arguments, observations, and questions through written sources. The mastering of writing enables students to achieve self-pride and a positive identity as their skill level improves, which is highlighted by the teacher’s praise and continued relationship as a mentor. Each of the teachers wants their students to progress and use their voices, encouraging them to become their own authors. This value is similar to the connective dimension discussed in //Teaching Literacy for Love and Wisdom//. The students interpret and evaluate the work of authors, and then replicate their sentence structures and language. By aligning the students’ work with an author’s text, the students are illuminated as important and influential authors themselves.

Within my own unit, I could implement writing pieces where the students mimic the writing styles that are expressed in a number of the poems that they will have read. They could write their own poem about rural or urban life that incorporates images of daily life and setting. Then, in groups, they could read their poems aloud and defend why they chose to use certain uses of imagery, alliteration, or tone, verbally expressing their personal stances of urban and rural culture. This activity would pair well with Carl Sandburg’s poem, “Chicago”. When discussing youth culture or digital culture, the students could bring in articles or advertisements that foster the use of technology, such as cell phone ads. Then, as a class, we could discuss the techniques used by the articles and ads. They could write their own advertisement for an object or item that they believe is important in their daily lives of culture, including a colorful illustration.

My cooperating teacher implements a lot of group work where the students work together to analyze a work of literature in their textbooks. They focus on language and the author’s diction, which is reflected in the third and fifth scenarios. Also, whenever grading their tests, journal entries, or homework, my cooperating teacher uses extensive comments to help them improve their writing and organization.

Baily’s Best Bets:

Surf the Net (Being Out and Stepping In) – Before reading Lelia Christenbury’s essay, “The Harlem Renaissance”, the students can surf the internet for images, jazz song lyrics, singer or political biographies, or any newspaper or journal articles that relate to the social transition depicted in the essay. They can share what they found to the class.

Brainstorming/Webbing (Being Out and Stepping In) – The word that the students would branch off of would be “culture”. I want the students to develop their own definition of what culture is. Their webs would also reflect their own understanding of the cultures that they identify with. Their webs could include annual celebrations with their friends and family, such as Thanksgiving, their clothes, favorite music and food, role-models, and other aspects that define their lives. We would review the web as a class and revisit it after we finish our two novels. We could then create a web for the characters of Janie or Scout.

That was Then, This is Now (Being In and Moving Through) – This activity would be perfect to encourage students to reflect on social, political, racial, and domestic changes that have occurred since the time periods in //To Kill a Mockingbird// and //Their Eyes Were Watching God//. The students can keep an active list of observations that they notice that move them or seem injustice or wrong as they read the texts. Then, in another column, they can write down how the immoral actions or prejudices observed have changed and are handled in today’s world.

Roundtable (Stepping Out and Rethinking What One Knows) – This activity could work for //To Kill a Mockingbird// and //Their Eyes Were Watching God//. The two novels involve hidden aspects of culture that the students can help each other identify and connect to their own lives, whether its women’s roles or what motivates us or makes us happy. They could also discuss and comment on the racial interactions that occur in the novels as well as the cultural personalities that the characters portray.

Rosencrats and Gildenstern (Stepping Out and Rethinking What One Knows) – Students could writing journal entries from the perspective of an individual struggling to adapt to a foreign culture, such as the boy who faces assimilation in Eugene Gloria’s poem, “Assimilation”. They could also write journal entries written by Janie in //Their Eyes Were Watching God//.

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Ashley Davis - November. 8, 2011
My Writing Scenario

My ideal classroom would be comprised of juniors or seniors from middle-class families. Each student would be on a different level of writing from their peers, resulting in a classroom filled with diverse writing techniques, stylistic approaches, knowledge, and experience.

My goal is to provide appropriate support and instruction through diverse methods. I don’t want to assume that all of my students can write interrelated essays that are well organized and grammatically correct. Progression is central. Multiple forms of support will help the students realize what methods are most beneficial to them as they develop confidence in their prewriting strategies. An imbalance of informal and formal writing will ensure that the students are not overwhelmed or overly sensitive towards grammatical mistakes or syntactic critiques. I want my students to become motivated and conscious that they have a voice that is influential and powerful. Meticulous assessment based on grammar and syntactic choices will take away from a student’s overall message and argument. With informal writing, grammatical details will not be graded but corrected through comments and proposals produced by the teacher. The ability to successfully support a point is what is important. However, the few times the students are required to write a cohesive essay, issues relating to grammar, syntactic choices, organization, and format will be incorporated in the grading procedure as well as cohesiveness. Writing workshops will be implemented in the formal writing process, as well as peer editing. By working in groups, students will be exposed to a more relaxed approach to instruction as students edit each other’s work while offering suggestions and constructive comments. Some students may find peer editing as a more helpful way of writing a successful essay. Step-by-step instruction will also be used to guide the students in the formal essay writing process. It’s important that the students develop effect essay writing techniques and knowledge so that they are prepared for college. Freedom should exist within the step-by-step approach to writing. Students can develop and reinforce their own theories and ideas based off of what interests them through their writing; they can choose what to write about. It’s important that my students view themselves as authors. Peer editing, teacher conferences, and writing workshops will promote confidence and self-appreciation as the students use constructive criticism to fortify and improve their writing. Also, the students can share their finished work with the class by reading it aloud. This will promote an interest in their work. Writing instruction would be integrated throughout the class objectives and activities. However, for formal writing, whole-class and peer instruction would be highlighted and emphasized so that the students can acknowledge the necessity for developing a writing process that works for them.