CONCLUSION TO BLOG

This journey began with me possessing only the traditional method of teaching Literature in mind. Teaching Literature to me was all about reading a book in class and asking students questions based on what was read. This approach was a direct consequence of the way I was taught at A Level. This course has truly enlightened me considerably about teaching English and English Literature at the secondary school. I learned a variety of strategies besides reading and answering questions which can be used to teach Literature. Furthermore, these strategies can definitely make the Literature class a more exciting, interesting and knowledgeable place to be. Using these strategies will give the students something to look forward to in the Literature class and make the once “boring” class an enjoyable one.

The approaches and activities that I really liked and will definitely employ in my classroom when I return to my school are:

! DRTA

! Literature Circle

! Anticipation guide

! Journals

! Jigsaw

! Interactive notebook

These strategies and activities will take the dreary labour from Literature and if utilized properly will get students to produce work even without realizing it. These strategies and activities can yield the same results we are trying to harvest by using the traditional method but under better working conditions.

This journey brought with it many experiences- experiences that will never be forgotten and knowledge that will definitely be implemented. One thing I have learnt is that Literature is a lot more than book knowledge. It is an experience that our students have to go though. That experience has to be indicative of our students’ interests, reading level and needs. This is why the literary stages of appreciation are of utmost importance. Too many times we teach students for CXC and forget about their needs as students and as individuals. And through this course I have grown to learn that the students are the most important entities in the Literature class, not the book or the knowledge they have to acquire. And so, this will be reflected in the books that we choose and the approaches, strategies and activities that we use in the class. If I were to remember one thing taught from this course it would have to be the need for adolescent literature in the classroom. Before this course I knew absolutely nothing about adolescent literature and here, at the end of the course, this seems to be the most important element of the course to me.

Despite its challenges, this journey was indeed an interesting one. It was fun filled and enjoyable. There was always something to look forward to in class. And so I would like to thank my passionate lecturer for making the course what it was. I admire his passion and energy towards Literature and hope that one day I will be able to emulate it. I would also like to thank my classmates for making the class what it was. I enjoyed the discussions. They were insightful.

EVALUATING DRTA

As has been previously established, DRTA is a teaching strategy which can be used before, during and after reading. It is used to help students make predictions about the text they are reading as well as to validate or refute these predictions upon further reading, Conner (20060 identifies three purposes of DRTA. These purposes are:

• Elicits students' prior knowledge of the titile of the text
• Encourages students to monitor their comprehension while they are reading
• sets purpose for reading as students have to read to make and revise predictions

The effective use of this strategy lends itself to students making predictions, validating and or refuting these predictions. It encourages active learning and deep thinking about the text.


DRTA is very beneficial to students of all ages and levels.

• DRTA can be used with individual students, small groups or whole class discussions.
• It can be used with a variety of other subjects and reading levels.
• It definitely helps strengthen reading and critical reading skills.
• It gives a clear purpose for reading.
• It caters for self assessment.

DRTA has been regarded as a strong model which can be used to build independent readers and learners. Dupuis, Lee, Badiali and Askov (1989) state that "the rationale for using the DRTA is to foster the student's independence when reading. It engages students in an process where they must used their reasoning abilities and their own ideas." (p 252)

  http://ezinearticles.com/?Teachers---Use-the-Directed-Reading-Thinking-Activity-(DRTA)-To-Promote-Learning-in-Your-Math-Class&id=1830748

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1830748

http://www.indiana.edu/~l517/DRTA.htm

Lesson Plan

Date: April 29 2011

Grade Level: Grade eight

Age Group: 12-14

Number of Students: 36

Language Arts Area and Subtopic:  Elements of a short story/ theme

Duration: 80minutes

Other Language Areas: Characterizations, setting

Objectives: students will:

1.       Share their stories of superstition

2.       Identify and discuss the characteristics of the stories

3.       Examine elements of the text to make predictions

Pre-requisites:  students should be able to:

1.       Read

2.       Tell stories

Approach/ Strategy: discussion

Materials: mats/ blankets

Preparation: students will arrange the class in a fish bowl arrangement.

Introduction: teacher will tell her own experience with superstition. She will also mention terms like the soucouyant, bolom, “Jean Gaje” and ask students what they know about them.

Development:

Step 1: students will take turns to tell stories of superstition. Students are free to comment on each other’s stories, make adjustments and tell their version of the same story based on how they have heard it.

Step 2: students will identify and discuss the characteristics of the stories highlighting their variations and commonalities.

Step 3: students will be given a copy of the story, “The Village Washer”. As a class we will discuss the topic of the story. Students will be asked the following questions:

1.       Is the title attractive? Is it one which makes you want to read the text?

2.       Based on the topic, what do think the story is about?

3.       Using the class activity as the basis along with the topic what do think the story is about?

Step 4: teacher will read a brief preview of the story to give students a little more information to make their predictions. The teacher will not give out too much information but rather just enough to get students interested in the story.

Conclusion: using a table format, students will document the similarities and differences among the stories.

Based on the preview that was read and the discussions in class, students will make predictions as to what the story will be about in their prediction logs.

Evaluation: students will be asked to draw their idea of a superstitious character of their choice in their journals.

Using DRTA to teach the book “A Cow Called Boy”

Age group: 11-12 years

Content: Characterization

When I get to class I will write the name of the book on the board and ask students what they think the book is about? The responses will be documented in a semantic map. Students will also be required to give reasons for their answers.

Next we will scrutinize the layout of the text. Students would be required to respond to the following questions:

1.     What do you think about the cover page? Is it appealing?

2.     Do you think there is a relationship between the picture on the cover page and the title? What is the relationship?

3.     Does this look like a book that you will pick up to read in your free time?

4.     Who do you think the people in the picture are?

5.      Do you think they are important in the story? Why?

Now, let us read the blurb.

6.     We will go through the predictions made as to what the story is about and see whether they are still valid based on what we read. Students will provide reasons for refuting or validating the predictions.

Next we will go through the table of content and analyze the chapters.

7.     Again we will go through the remaining predictions and try to see whether they can be validated or not. Students will provide an explanation for their answer.

8.     Based on what was discussed in the class, students will make their own predictions in their prediction logs.

As we read the text, we will stop at strategic points to discuss what has happened, validate or refute predictions and make new ones.

For example:

As we read chapter one, we will stop at the point where Josh is late for the first day of school and the cow follows him a third time. Students will be asked questions such as:-

9.    What could have been done to prevent the situation from occurring?

10.   If you were in Josh’s place what would you have done? Why?

11.   What do you think Josh will do?

12.  What makes you believe that this is what he will do?

13.  What do you think about the cow?

14.   How does the situation make you feel towards Josh?

15.   What do you think will happen next?

Another point we can stop at is the scene when Boy gets into the school and Josh had to beg his class teacher, Ms Anthony, to allow boy in as his class project? The questions could probably be:

16.What do you think the Ms Anthony will do?

17.   If you were the teacher what would you have done?

18.   Do you think Ms. Anthony did the right thing?

19. Put yourself in Josh’s shoes. Describe how you would feel while giving the report

20. Should animals be allowed in schools? Why?

After reading the text I would give students an opportunity to talk openly about the text. They will speak along those lines:

21.    Say what feeling where evoked while reading?

22.   Which parts seemed to be most interesting and why?

23.   Which parts did you dislike most?

24.   Which characters were your favourite? Why?

25.  Which characters did you dislike the list?

26.  If you had to be one of the characters which one will you choose?

27.  We will review students’ character sketches

28.   Students will also revisit their predictions. They will be discussed and students will either validate them or refute them.

29. In their prediction logs student will write about two instances where their predictions and accurate and two where the predictions differed from what happened.

Evaluation: Journals

Throughout the readings, students will be working on character sketches of the different characters. As we study the characters in different situations and settings the students will add to what they already have.

Students will also write about their reading experience.

 

Strategies for Interacting with Text!

In other for Literature teachers to achieve their goal of developing good readers and writers, they must engage students and get them to interact with the texts they are exposed to before, during and after reading. There are a number of strategies such as Directed Reading/Thinking Activities – DRTA - which can be used to help the teacher achieve this goal.

The main aim of DRTA has been identified by researchers as “[developing] high level thinking while reading. The teacher directs the lesson in ways which allows students to make predictions about what they are going to read.” (Rapp 2005). The main technique employed by teachers when using this technique is questioning. Therefore, the questions used must be clear and direct.

Gillet and Temple 1994 have identified four main steps in the process.

ì Introduction

ì Predict

ì Prove or Modify Predictions

ì Reflect

Using DRTA as a “before reading strategy”

 Gillet and Temple 1994 encourages teachers to create a student friendly atmosphere so that discussions can thrive. “Students need to feel free to state their ideas and share their thinking”. In this context DRTA is used to make predictions about the text. Students are going to use their prior knowledge along with a scrutiny of the title, the cover page, the blurb, the captions and the illustrations to make predictions (Rapp 2005). During this stage the predictions are “broad and speculative” and it is imperative that the teacher accepts all answers that are given. When predictions are made students can be asked to write them in their prediction logs or journals. Then teachers should use open-ended questions to direct students as they make predictions about the content or perspective of the text about. Students should be encouraged to justify their responses and activate prior knowledge

During Reading

At stage, DRTA can be used to help teachers assess their students as their read, furthermore, the process of confirming and nullifying previous predictions begins. Additionally, as students read they can make more predictions through the questions asked by the teacher as he/she pauses at strategic points to discuss.

After reading

As an after reading, students can be asked reflect on what they have read and the predictions they have made. Evidence from the text should be provided as the basis for verifying or refuting their predictions. At this stage the teacher poses higher order thinking questions to the students to deepen the thinking process. Students are also given opportunities to reflect on what was read and the predictions that were made.

Despite its many benefits, this strategy is not the easiest one to use with struggling learners and should only be used with books that the students are not familiar with.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/35947474/Teaching-Reading-Using-DR-TA

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/skill-builder/reading/48610.html

http://www.adlit.org/strategies/23356

ROLE OF LITERATURE IN THE CURRICULUM - REVIEWED

Integrating literature has proven to be very beneficial to students. The importance of the integration of Literature in the school`s curriculum has been highlighted in the International Reading Association’s Adolescent Literacy Commission’s position statement, which notes that “adolescents deserve access to a wide variety of reading material that they can and want to read” (Moore, Bean, Birdyshaw, & Rycik, 1999, p. 4). In other for this integration to be successful we need to encourage students to read and expose them to a wide range of “high-powered young adult literature” texts which focus on “content-area concepts and interpretive activities” and “discussions that engage students” (Bean, 2002, p. 37).  Students should also learn to analyze, interpret and develop an awareness or appreciation for literature. As this filters into the school and becomes part of its niche, students become sentient about the premium the school places on literature and reading and reacts positively with the environment.  Educators have established a strong correlation between students’ reading abilities and success and have advocated that teachers allow students to be engaged in independent readings of “good young adult literature” texts. Bean sums up this view nicely when she posits that “If educators are serious about developing students’ lifelong love of reading, they need to incorporate in the curriculum literature that is captivating and issue-based”.

According to Richardson and Miller (2001) incorporating literature in the curriculum has four main benefits. Literature in the curriculum

YHelps students become emotionally involved with events and people

Y Aids students in understanding reality,

Y Provides stories with satisfactory endings, and

YProvides a common, shared experience for the teacher and all students.

Furthermore, other persons have noted some additional advantages of having literature integrated into the curriculum. These were mentioned as comments to the initial blog entry and I thought they should be included. These are:

I The skills learnt through literature are such that allow students to view life, concepts etc from multiple perspectives and not just “the literal point of view”. ( Shera Edward)

I “A very important advantage of literature is the focus on developing critical thinking skills. If students are exposed to literature throughout secondary school, then their ability to think critically would determine the kinds of decisions that they make in life.” (Mansha Charlery)

Literature can be integrated in almost all subject areas if not all. For example literature can be integrated in science in which case it helps students in “finding and pursuing their own question rather than only providing information” (Harlen, 1989).  Literature should in no case take over any discipline but rather, it should complement the subject. For instance literature should not take the place of experiment and observation in science but it should support inquiry in ways that textbooks cannot.

Though not an easy task, integrating Literature in the curriculum can make a vast difference in the school as students’ attitudes towards the different subject areas will improve.