After reading "Holding on to Good Times in a Time of Bad Ones" by Thomas Newkirk I found a lot of good insights and practical ideas to incorporate in my classroom. Newkirk points out in this new era of accountability, which is actually counterproductive to teaching and learning. "There is an epidemic of teaching to the test--and anyone who denies this is simply not facing reality. This major problem, I ague, is that graphite-based assessment cannot touch some of the more important qualities we strive for in education, and even when human readers must be used, writing has to be bent out of recognition to be tested. The new technological tools to "rate" writing without human readers are testaments to how far we have advanced toward mechanized literacy" (Newkirk 4). Newkirk recognizes that teachers and students do have to have some measure of accountability but that this is not the answer. He mentions that there needs to be a "careful balance between agreed-upon standards--and teacher initiative. Teachers cannot simply be free agents, choosing, for example, not to teach writing. Standards are useful when they do not proliferate, when they can be used to focus instruction and not disperse it" (Newkirk 6). Standards are helpful when they are not too rigid and specific to allow for teacher decision making. Unfortunately, many of the standardized tests and standards-based curriculum are so restrictive they do not allow teacher creativity and they take ownership away from teachers own craft and expertise. I liked how this author mentioned that most law makers, politicians, businesses, and the Department of Education still treat schools like factories and the students as products, much like in the early twentieth century. This trend in education limits teachers in the decision making process about curriculum and students, and as a result does not foster creativity, individual growth, and critical thinking skills to meet the demands of the 21st century workforce.
It is critical to allow children, especially boys, to
be given freedom to write freely and willingly.
When we allow students to tap into their interest areas and allow choice
the better their writing will develop. It
was interesting to read that unfortunately, many non-readers see reading as
an isolating and anti-social experience. When
doing homework students often times do not like it quiet so they put on the
television and wear their ear buds to resist this seclusion and isolation. I often
allow my students to listen to their ear buds while reading and writing because
they say it helps them focus and pay attention (even though I know that they
are not supposed to have them out). For most of my students I believe that is does
help them comprehend and focus better because they are more productive and able
to focus their attention on the task at hand, so I guess I will deal with the
consequences if I get caught.
According to Newkirk, independent reading declines
substantially in the middle and high school years and book reading among boys
completing comes to a halt. Researchers believe that the use of textbooks
and the mere fact that teachers are now being divided into separate subject
areas contributes substantially to this decline. In other words, textbooks turn readers off
in middle school and high school, “they fail young readers on four dimensions
of reading—authorship, form, venue, and duration” (Newkirk 118). This information was very helpful to me because
it gives me another prospective in terms of the reasons why my students may dislike
reading so much. I always contributed
their lack of motivation and desire to read was mostly due to their learning disabilities.
I really
liked how Newkirk pointed out that,
“When you’re not
into book yet, it’s really obvious (laughs).
It’s like you’re standing in line for a diving board on a windy day and
you’re freezing your nuts off. If you’ll
excuse the expression (laughs). Where
was I? Oh yeah. It’s like you’re in pain
and you have your arms wrapped around you and the concrete is scratching your
feet. The first part of the story is the
line and the ladder and the board. When everything
comes together and you jump it’s like you’re in this underwater world INSTANTLY
and then you just stay down there and never come up until someone makes you,”
(Newkirk 123).
Here are two You Tube videos on reading and writing that I think are worth looking at.
