There were two highlights of this class for me, one was the literature circle, and one was the concept of teaching content through these strategies. The literature circle was such a fun reminder of how much I love to discuss books and reading with others, especially with people who have actually dedicated time to thinking through some talking points and opinions, which my group had. I really could envision how beneficial a literature circle could be even for young students, as it really builds your confidence to learn that your insight and views about a text are valid and worth expressing, and I think that the lit circle roles help with that realization. The roles provide a structure and guideline to help understand how to look deeper into a text, and how to pull out relevant or interesting pieces. It also empowers people to look into and speak about aspects of the text they may not typically have the confidence to but making them the “expert” of that aspect. Having only discussed literature in this way as an adult in college, I feel that I would have been more confident and better equipped to express my voice if I had grown up practicing it on simpler texts.
My second main take away goes back to my first reflection, when I discussed the importance of integration. This class emphasized that again, with the idea that one should use all these strategies to analyze a primary source and to make inferences and big picture claims in order to teach the content. It is not only a two for one deal in that way, but it also teaches students that there are many approaches to content, and that there are a wide variety of reasons and end goals one has when accessing content.
Hello Deborah,
I like knowing how much you enjoy literature circles! Learning can be fun and it is OK! When I reflect back on my childhood educational experiences there were always those teachers who valued the idea that learning had to be a bit miserable in order to make an impact! But, thank goodness there were some good experiences mixed in there where teachers made learning fun. My fifth grade teacher who read aloud all of the Little House on the Prairie books made talking about the story after she read so much fun. I loved hearing about the life on the prairie but knew without a shadow of a doubt, I would not have been the adventurous one to move west!
I would be interested in knowing how you felt during the primary source activities. It seems you definitely have a big picture take-away! Was there a moment you had an “a-ha?”
Thank you for your reflection. Lynne