Book Talk #2

The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison is about a group of girls, all under the age of 21, who have been kidnapped to live in a secret garden, which is tended by the Gardner. The book starts off with a girl named “Maya” being interregated by two FBI agents, agent Victor Hanoverian and agent Brandon Eddison, to get as much information about life in this secret garden. Readers learn that the garden can only be accessed by the Gardner, and eventually his two sons Desmond and Avery. In this garden, lived over 15 girls between the ages of 15 and 21. Each girl received a new name given to them from the Gardner, and also a distinct tattoo of enormous butterfly wings on their back each representing a different species of butterfly, and each girl was raped by the Gardner and Avery. Avery specifically abused Maya because of her strong will and courage. Also, any girl who turned 21, misbehaved, or tried to escape was murdered, but their bodies were preserved in glass cases filled with resin, and their wings were put on display in the hallways where the girls lived. Maya is looked up to by all the other girls because she is a type of motherly figure to them, and also she is treated the best by the Gardner. Maya also becomes close with the Gardner’s son Desmond, who eventually helps Maya and the others escape.

I chose this text because originally I was supposed to read it for a book club, but the book club ended up not working out. I read this text on my own, and I absolutely loved it. Growing up, my favorite genres of books were the horror and psycho thriller type books, and this book falls perfectly in those categories. I think this text would be appropriate for older high school students, especially those who I thought were mature enough for this book just because the characters in this book are young girls who are trying to overcome this huge challenging obstacle, but also personal challenges as well, such as loosing family members, overcoming depression and anxiety, etcetera.

I don’t think I would use this book as a book for the whole class to read, but I can see using this book for any type or reading circle or book club, as a book to use for a book report, or even on a personal project (ex: my lesson plan unit on conflict, this book would be perfect for various types of conflict.)

Challenges I think I would face using this text would because of the mention of really heavy topics such as rape, molestation, suicide, and domestic abuse, and I think parents and administration would have a problem with really dark topics like that. That is why I would only recommend it to those I know who could handle this book in a maturely manner, and I would let administration and parents know that in no way this book nor I are condoning the acts committed in this book, but they are topics that shouldn’t be sheltered from readers. I would always make sure to clear it was parents and administration first before I recommend this book to students.

Important things to note about this book:

-          It’s apart of a 4 part series – each are different to each other

-          It’s 288 pages

-          It MAY be made into a movie, but nothing confirmed

The Round House by Louise Erdrich

 The Roundhouse was such a great and fun read. I really enjoyed this book because it was an easy read and I can actually relate what I knew about Native Americans and their history to this book, especially because of the Pacific Northwest History class I’m currently in right now. This book was a great read for me because it covers such a heavy topic of rape, but Louise Erdrich keeps it light hearted with jokes and awkward moments of these 13-year-old boys growing up and experiencing changes of their emotions and of their bodies. I think Louise Erdrich really shows the true side affects of rape, not only to the victim, but family and friends and the community as well. I think Louise Erdrich also does a really great job of showing how life is still extremely hard for a modern Native American is, especially those living on a reservation close enough to the other white people.

I also think Joe is such a relatable character as well because Joe is a goofy, awkward, 13-year-old boy who has genuine feelings and is attracted to pretty women, but he also likes to goof around and get into mischief with his friends. He also shows how true empathy towards his mom and dad, his friends and family, and especially toward Sonja. Since I think Joe is such a relatable character, I think this would be a really good read for certain high school students. I don’t think I would use this book for teaching, but I would recommend it to those who I think who are mature enough to handle the heavy content of this book. As a future teacher, I could definitely see myself recommending this book for a book club, or maybe for a personal project or book report.

I read it, but I don't get it!

I really enjoyed I Read it, But I Don’t Get it because it was really insightful for a, a future teacher who is going to encounter students who struggle with reading comprehension.  As I was reading this book, I thought of my own high school experience, and I was trying to remember if I even struggled with reading comprehension or if I noticed any of my peers struggling as well, and what I did to overcome those obstacles. The one thing I really liked in this book was the constant dialogue between Cris Tovani and her students. I think it helped make the story more realistic, and, as a future teacher, it was cool to see the students have these “ah ha!” moments of reaching comprehension of what they were reading and makes it more realistic that I can also help students reach these goals as well. As I was reading, I bookmarked parts of Tovani’s teaching that I felt were important to me, or I could incorporate into my own teaching as well. For instance, in the section titled “Purpose is Everything”, Tovani does an exercise with her students where they have to read a small article called The House. Tovani first has the students read the piece, and circle what they feel like is important. Next, the students read the piece again and highlight in pink what would be important for a robber. Next, students will read the piece again and highlight in another color what’s important for a house buyer. Tovani then has students compare the three different readings, and students should recognize that it was much easier to find what was important when they were given a purpose. Lastly, Tovani has students compare what they found was important for the robber and for the buyer.

I found myself relating to Tovani’s students because everyone goes through some type of a struggle with reading comprehension, but I also did find myself practicing many of the steps Tovani teaches to her students on how to over come the struggle. I am hoping that I can influence some of the strategies onto my future students as well.

EWU's TPA guidelines and edTPA Making Good Choices

For me, the hardest part of learning how to be a teacher is the tedious lesson plans (especially having to do 15 for this class!!). I struggle the most with how to organize all these ideas I have in my head into either one or multiple lesson plans, and because I don’t have the experience of being in a classroom, I’m unsure of what works in a classroom or how to manage time effectively. I found the article “edTPA Making Good Choices” to be extremely helpful as I am making my lesson plans for this class. What I liked the most about this article is the section on “Knowledge of Students”. In this section, I learned that the lessons we create should be student focused. This article also pointed out that when catering to students with certain needs its important that the our reasoning for the actions we take are “based on your knowledge of your students and not based on assumptions or stereotypes associated with their age or ethnic, cultural, or socio-economic backgrounds.”

As for the edTPA Lesson Plan Guidelines, this is the first quarter that I’ve seen a shorter format of the lesson plan, and I actually really like this one because of the questions being asked in each section. In the long version of the lesson plan it doesn’t have these questions, so I constantly had to reference my first lesson plan to see what I needed to each category. I also like the shorter format because it combines some of the sections from the longer format into more cohesive sections.

Social Justice

The article I chose was from the Nation Education Associate, and it focuses on defining social justice, the main issues of social justice, and strategies of addressing social justice with students. The article defines social justice as “a concept in which equity or justice is achieved in every aspect of society rather than in only some aspects or for some people.” I think this definition provides a clear explanation on what social justice is because it highlights that social justice is met when everyone socially has equality. The article also mentions that because not everyone in society is born equal social status to each other. There are people in our society who have more advantages than others, so with social justice it helps share or distribute more opportunities to those who don’t have the same advantages, and this helps society become “equitable and all members and physically and psychologically safe and secure.”

The article points out that “the absence of social justice results in social oppression. Racism, sexism, ageism, classism, ableism, and heterosexism are some forms of social oppression in society.” With social oppression is could lead to “exclusion, discrimination, inequitable distribution of resources, and emotional and physical consequences.”

However, the article listed strategies to achieve social justice. The one that was most important to me was “focus on diversity – awareness of the diversity in communities is critical to fostering social justice”, and I think this one is really important because we live in a society that is so incredibly diverse, and it’s important to let our students know they should embrace their diversity and be proud of their culture. As a future teacher, I want to let me students know that they are all equally important to each other regardless of class, gender, race, etcetera. I think by showing students that I embrace my own diversity and culture will show them that it’s perfectly acceptable to embrace their own.

http://www.nea.org/tools/30414.htm

PAULO FREIRE: CHAPTER 2 OF PEDAGOGY OF THE OPPRESSED

This article was a very confusing read for me, and it was hard for me to grasp an understanding. However, the first thing I noticed with this article how true the statement “Education thus becomes an act of depositing, in which the students are the depositories and the teacher is the depositor” is. Throughout my education, I’ve noticed that are some classes I have taken where I genuinely did not retain anything. It was more of the teacher/professor would spew some information that I would write down, eventually memorize, and then later forget, but in these classes I never learned the significance of why I was learning the material that I was being taught. That’s why this article bashes on the banking concept of education. Freire mentions that fails in the education system for multiple reasons including limiting the create and critical thinking that education should promote.

However, in problem posing education, students are able to “develop their power to perceive critically the way they exist in the world with which and in which they find themselves; they come to see the world not a static reality, but as a reality in process, in transformation.” Freire explains that this concept helps create conversation, helps promote self-growth, and also encourages everyone to be a forever learner.

I think in a classroom setting it would be hard to promote problem posing education, and it would be hard to try and steer away from banking concept of education. I think, as a teacher, if I were to incorporate both it would create an equal balance between providing information for students, but also guiding them to critically think and think more in depth about certain concepts and subjects.

Book Talk #1 - "Hatchet" By Gary Paulsen (1987)

Summary:

"Hatchet" is about a 13 year old boy named Brian Robeson who lives with his mom in Hampton, New York. He is traveling to visit his dad, who lives in the Canadian north woods, for the whole summer. He is traveling on a Cessna 406 bush plane, when all of a sudden the pilot suffers and heart attack. The pilot dies, and Brian is forced to take over the controls of the plane. He crashes into a lake in the Canadian woods where he realizes he's stranded. He learns to survive with nothing but his hatchet his mother had given him shortly before his plane departed. Brian goes through a difficult journey of a lot of defeats, but worthy victories. He suffers through various threats of nature, but also learns how to make a fire, shelter, and learns how to hunt and cook his own food. Brian also struggles with memories of home, and the bittersweet memory of his parents together, who recently divorced (prior to, he caught his mother cheating on his father). At the beginning of the book he tries to commit suicide with the hatchet, but survives the attempt and emerges from the experience determined to embrace life and to take an active role in his own fate.Towards the end of the book, Brian notices the weather has shifted the tail end of the plane towards the shore of the lake, and this gives him the idea that there may be a survival pack of some sort of the plane. He dives in the water and gets inside the plane. and he retrieves the survival pack. Inside of it he finds a "Emergency Transmitter", and he fiddles with it but it appears not to function, so he throws it aside. However, his distress call is heard by a passing airplane, and he is rescued.

Reasoning:

I chose this book because I think it's a perfect example of coming-of-age, and perseverance. Brian struggles through so my difficulties that it could be inspiring for someone else going through struggles as well. Brian not only goes through the struggles of trying to survive, but he's going through the struggles of his parents of being divorce, and seeing his mom cheat on his dad. Divorce is such as common thing in the United States, and I think if students read this book they'll see they can come to terms with divorce as well.

I think this book is perfect for 6th-12th grade students because it's not a difficult read, especially only being 185 pages. Brian is also 13 years old, and I think students around that age can relate to the way he thinks and acts. I also think this book is full of valuable lessons that are easy enough to grasp with students this age.

Teaching Methods:

I think this book can be used to teach students the different types of conflict, such as man vs self and man vs nature. I also think it could be used as an example for teaching on coming-of-age. Lastly, it could be used as a recommendation or students looking for this type of book.

Complications:

The only major problem I see that might occur with this book is when Brian is thinking/attempting to commit suicide. Today, suicide is very sensitive subject, and it's important we address this with our students. I think forewarning students, faculty, or whomever that it does occur in the book will help with this situation.

There also is a small graphic scene in the book where Brian is diving into the lake to board the tail end of the plane, but he drops his hatchet in the water. So, he dives in to retrieve it, but also sees the decay body of the pilot partially eaten by fish. This scene may cause a disturbance with some students, and I think adding a forewarning about this scene may help with this situation as well.

Other:

• The book is the first book of a 5 part series 
• "Hatchet", "The River", "Brian's Winter", "Brian's Return", "Brian's Hunt"
• There is a film adaptation titled "A Cry in the Wild" (1990) 
• "Hatchet" was a recipet of the 1988 Newbery Honor (children's book award)