Literacy: Live It!My Literacy Goals: 1. Read a book that is related to my history content area. Rosenwein, B. H. (2004). A Short History of the Middle Ages 2 nd Ed . Toronto: Broadview Press. Radice, B. ed. (1969). Einhard and Notker the Stammerer: Two Lives of Charlemagne . London: Penguin Books. Thompson H. S. (1971). Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream . New York: Random House, Inc. 2. Read articles The New York Times that relate to my history content area five days a week, Monday through Friday. 3. Reread materials from the chapters/links that clarify confusing concepts or that stimulate my thinking.
Journal 9/8 Progress note: Today, reading for my Middle Ages class was tough. I was surprised by the amount of information the author has put into the book. I cam not count the number of times I have gone back to read a section over again. I am going to have to come up with a strategy for reading this text because the information is important. It's world history so it is related to my CA. Tonight my reading of Fear and Loathing was better than my afternoon readings. I am reading this book because there was so much going on in the book. The book also offers an interesting view into the counter culture in America during the 1970s which would be useful in an American history class. Crazy, odd, and outrageous events constantly occur. Just in my reading tonight I came across two items I missed before. That is what I love about reading. No matter how many times I read a book I seem to always find something new. That aspect draws me in wanting more. 9/9 Progress note: This time around I finally focused when I read the introductions to the different sections. This seemed to work well for me. The introductions set up the sections and I was able to follow along. This helped me develop a better understanding of the material today. My reading today was much better than yesterdays. Easier to get through and remember. It's amazing to see how a reading strategy can help. 9/10 Progress note: Today I started the book that I am going to read which relates to my history CA. I've heard Charlemagne mentioned before in a couple of classes so I am excited that I have started the book. Although I'm only in the Introduction and got off to a slow start I am interested in discovering how the two men, Einhard and Notker the Stammerer, thought of Charlemagne. These men lived during the 700 and 800s so it will be interesting to see how their views match up with those of today. Fear and Loathing was enjoyable tonight and although I did not come across anything new I can not help but laugh out loud at some of the odd happenings in the book. Hunter S. Thompson has a unique writing style which is interesting to say the least. I'm hooked and it seems like I always need a fix. 9/11 Progress note: Today was a good day to read the newspaper. I had a whole hour before my 9:00 class to read what ever I wanted out of the paper. I skipped around looking at whatever caught my eye and read at my own speed. I found this to be most enjoyable. Over the summer I forgot how much I enjoyed reading The New York Times . It seems to have news from everywhere and the articles are better than my local newspaper back home. I was able to read international news for the first time in months. Being a world history major I believe it is important to know what is going on around us and that mean not just national news. I'm fascinated with world events and The New York Times seems to keep that fascination alive. I may sound crazy or cheesy but I am looking forward to getting up early to get a new paper. 9/12 Progress note : Well today was not my best day for reading the newspaper. I am sad to say that I was not connecting with any of the articles I read. I just had to stop reading which actually makes me disappointed. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. Tonight's reading of Fear and Loathing made up for the disappointment of the newspaper today. While reading I started to think about what I learned in my American History class about Tim Leary. So after I finished reading I got on the Internet and looked at articles about Leary to refresh my memory, which led to more questions that I attempted to answer by searching the Web. Tonight's reading really got me motivated to learn and got me asking more questions. 9/13 Progress note : Today's reading of the newspaper was a better experience than yesterday. I became engaged in a number of articles. One article, Pope Calls West Divorced From Faith, Adding a Blunt Footnote on Jihad , caught my attention. The Pope had some harsh words for Muslims and Christians but did say there needed to be dialogue between religions. It got me thinking about what other Popes thought about Islam and what they would have said publicly about it. Today I came across one new piece. I caught a glimpse of how the author viewed authority figures and I had missed that before. Now the narrator is at a narcotics convention for police in Las Vegas and that sparked more questions, which I promptly investigated in the Internet. Items related to drug facts and drug laws in the United States. Week 1 Reflection: This week has been an interesting one. I have read the newspaper every day and I have read portions of three books. I am glad that I have started to regularly read The New York Times again. Now I have an idea of what is going on in the world. This is important for me as a world history major and as an engaged individual. I need to be aware of what is going on in our global community and The New York Times has provided me with that opportunity. Our of all the books I have read this past week I am amazed how much of an impact Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas has had on me. I had no idea I would get so much from re-reading the book. I am coming across new bits and piece here and there but that is only the beginning. This book has got me asking a number of questions when I put it down. I have probably done close to as much time researching my questions as I have spent reading the book. I just love it. |
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Journal 9/14 Progress note: While reading the newspaper this afternoon I was drawn to particularly one sad and disturbing article about a shooting at a Canadian college. The article, Woman Killed By Gunman In Montreal; 19 Are Injured , describes how a man just walked on to the campus an started shooting. This incident reminds me of the terrible events that took place at Columbine High School. I remember the day and class period I was in when I heard the news. Today's article also started my thinking about school plans for emergencies. I wonder if schools have plans for situations like this, and if schools have plans for these situations do they practice them like they would with fire drills. I am going to ask my placement teacher if the school has a plan. On tonight's trip I followed the characters on a normal journey. Well normal for them. I found some new names but I am going to wait for a while before looking them up because I am still researching some things on the Web. 9/15 Progress note : In today's newspaper I came across an article that discussed the discovery of an ancient stone tablet in Mexico. Stone Said to Contain Earliest Writing in Western Hemisphere describes how the writing could be from 3,000 years ago. I must say that this is a type of text that we have not yet talked about in classroom while discussing literacy and text. Researchers still do not know what the tablet is saying but that does not decrease my excitement. This is history that I could be teaching in the future.
9/18 Progress note : Today's reading was very interesting to say the least. The main characters posed as police officers at a National Drug Convention in Las Vegas in the section I read. This was another great example of how individuals from the counter culture or 'seekers' viewed the authorities. I have more names, speakers at the convention, to add to my list of people to research. In today's reading the characters too a drug that I've never heard of, and from the descriptions in the book the drug sounds dangerous. The author calls it adrenochrome and I intend to do some research on it as well. 9/19 Progress note : Today an article dealing with the United States caught my attention. The article Struggle for Sobriety That Knows No Party Lines describes how a few men in the United States Congress who are recovering from substance abuse are helping each other out. It is actually a touching story and it is also an inspirational piece to me dealing with things I am trying to change with my life. Good review of material. The Reading Assessment Inventory was not so confusing this time and I think I have the cuing systems down now. Tonight was similar to most of the other sections of the past. I found some more names for the list. It still amazes me how much I am getting out of this book by reading it a second time. It has grabbed my brain and I can't stop developing new questions. 9/20 Progress note : An article today describes Israel's plan to finally complete its withdrawal from Lebanon. This article reminds me of all the conflicts Israel has been in since its creation after World War II. There is a lot of history over there and it is really discouraging to me that a majority of it deals with conflict. Well the trip is finally over and our heroes have made it out of Las Vegas alive. This defiantly fits Jerry Garcia's line about "what a long strange trip it's been." The book maybe done but I have barely scratched the surface of my questions. This was a great experience. Week 2 Reflection: My second week of reading has been great. Reading The New York Times is helping me become aware of what is taking place around the world. This is not only important for me as a world history major, but it is important for me to know what is going on so I can be an active member of the global community. I would encourage students to read the newspaper for this reason as well. It is a great way for students to step into the global community. I finished Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas this week, so I am happy and yet sad at the same time. The journey is over, but I will more than likely read the book again. I am really addicted, and when I read it again I know I will find new items and think about new questions. This time around the book got me excited and asking numerous questions, which I still have a large number left unanswered. I would have students try to find a book they could get into and get them asking questions too. I think book like this can really increase an individual's passion for reading. It has increased my passion, and I believe these books can help develop personal growth and discovery. Right now I have an urge for discovery and I can feed that urge with reading. I can honestly say that I have not felt this way about reading before, and I must say that it feels great. |
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Journal 9/21 Progress note: This afternoon I was using my graphic cuing system while scanning headlines and pictures in the newspaper and I cam across the article For 4 th Time, Pope Clarifies Islam Remark . This article is a continuation of the heated controversy over the Pope's remarks about Islam, which I discussed in an earlier journal log. This is a reminder to me that I need to be careful of what I say, especially in the classroom. However, more importantly I need to be respectful towards other beliefs and cultures, because as a teacher I would want to express this quality with hopes of students picking up on it. 9/22 Progress note : This morning while going through the newspaper I came across an article on the topic Dana discussed in her Three Minutes of Fame. Istanbul Court Clears Author Of Insulting Turkish Identity explains how the charges were dropped against the writer Elif Shafak. The case would have hurt Turkey's chances of getting into the European Union. I guess you could say this was a victory not only for freedom of expression but for literacy. 9/25 Progress note : While skimming through the headlines in The New York Times I discovered that although literacy scored a victory in Turkey yesterday it took a hit in Thailand. Book Critical of the King Is Banned From Thai Shelves describes exactly what it says, which is a book being banned in Thailand. The book by Paul M. Handley is about the modern monarchy of Thailand. It is a sad event, but it also reminds me of how truly lucky I am to live in a society that allows me to read what I want. Now that is truly freedom. 9/26 Progress note : While scanning the newspaper today I cam across an article that was quite disturbing. Trial Begins of Wealthy Kenyan Accused of Killing Black Man described the events dealing with a rich Kenyan, who is white, that is being charged for killing a second man in just over a year. Both of the men killed were black Africans. From what I can tell it seems to be another horrible act of prejudice. It reminds me of the damage of continent and people of Africa still face today due to the colonial imperialism by Europeans that took place not so long ago. Some individuals, myself included, might say a form still exists but that is for another class. Topics like this are a must for our students if we want a better future for all. Tonight I looked through the Just Read Now link of Chapter Three and found some interesting strategies. I read through each section; Discussion Strategies, Organized Strategies, Action Strategies, and Vocabulary Strategies. I came across two or more strategies from each category that I found interesting and thought would work for reading in social studies classes. I found out later that most of the strategies I wrote notes on have a visual aspect to them, which I believe is a help with understanding and recall. I really liked the Graphic Organizers because I think I would use them in class a lot. They are a great way for students to organize information visually. I for one like Venn Diagrams, and since history deals with a lot of compare and contrast I will more than likely use them as a reading strategy tool. Idea-Maps are similar because they represent information visually. They are great for progression of ideas and they can be simple or complex if needed. The one discussion strategy that jumped out at me was Creative Debate. I believe this would be great for a history class because it provides students with the opportunity to argue from both sides of topic, and in doing so students acquire perspectives of both sides which I believe is important when studying in history. 9/27 Progress note : Today I came across an article about campaign ads which are a whole style of text in itself. The article made me think about having a section of a unit be on campaign ads and have students bring in may different kinds. Then try to comprehend what message is being presented and think about what is behind the message. It sounds like a very interesting topic to me and a whole different style of literacy. I also was drawn to the article Opera Cancelled Over a Depiction of Muhammad . A German opera house decided to cancel the shoe because they know the show would offend individuals and the opera house was afraid of retaliation. This is a form of taking away freedom of express which has been mentioned this week already, but it is also a form of respecting other faiths and cultures which I have discussed this week as well. Week 3 Reflection: This week reading The New York Times has had many articles that related to one another. Reoccurring topics were freedom of expression and treating others with respect. During this whole experience so for I have been trying to come up with ways to incorporate newspapers into classes daily. I believe a great way is to start class periods with current event discussions. It is a way to get students into a mind set of learning and getting ready for class. However it is so much more. Having brief, five to ten minute, current event discussions each day would help keep students involved in what is going on in the world, and in doing so making the student wanting to stay involved. This can inspire them to read more. I would have students read newspapers at their homes before coming to school, but I do know that there are many families that do not get the newspaper. Therefore I would have to provide copies of the newspaper in class for the students. I believe a gal of education is to help student become engaged individuals in their society. I hope that the students would learn the importance of being active. Also while keeping in mind that staying informed with current events is important and therefore reading the newspaper daily is important. Students should want to stay informed to be an engaged member of the global community and in doing so they should want to read as much as possible. |
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