Chapter One Response (Double Entry Journal)

FACT OPINION

-Starts with a heartwarming story about a teacher whose "basic"

students out perform her advanced students by using reading/literacy

techniques

This story sounds like total crap.

-Mentions that teachers have an "addiction to coverage"

I totally agree with this. The administration and

DCPS and No Child Left Behind ensure that this

addiction will no be cured any time soon. Most

teachers are paranoid about not doing what they

are "supposed to." I admit I feel the pressure, too.

-The text talks about how texts will not necessarily be organized

well, or unbiased. But proper planning and strategies can still put

them to use

In my opinion, using DC textbooks are like handing

college textbooks to 6th graders. I find it better not to use

them at all. In my opinion teachers should be supplied with

their personal copies of multiple texts and good copy machines.

-Active readers generate questions before they read a text

Yes! you can have kids do this but i feel there must be

some basic interest in the subject for students to do it on

their own.

-Students often dont comprehend what they read because

they are insensitive to whats important.

I feel this is most often due to students not finding

the passage relevant.

-Engaged readers enjoy the opportunity for open forum discussion

I didn't in high school.

-Independence comes from practice

We need to bring in to class more Rolling Stone, Maxim,

Sports Illstrated, and those trashy sex novels the kids

like to read. They need the practice so much.

-Independence happens by design, not chance

I'll buy that

-Independence can be acheive in groups

This, I'm not sure I buy

-What it means to be literate

I'm not sure I understand this section. It sounds

like a lot of semantics.

-Some Expressivist Pedagogies teach students to view

themselves and others in very naive ways, ways that rarely

move them to social action.

I agree that studenst view themselves and others naively

however, I'm not sure of the cause. I'm pretty sure I was

the same way in high school, and my teachers were pretty

great.

-Comprehension fix-up strategies: moving forward and back

in the text, making mental images, contrasting new ideas with

previous experience.

Doesnt all this come with caring about what you're reading?

-"Not every child has an equal talent or an equal ability or equal

motivation, but children have the equal right to develop their talent,

their ability, and their motivation."- JFK

I LOVE THIS QUOTE!

--MATT HALLAHAN