Reading Response for Class on 1/31

Article 1: "Failing Still to Address Poverty Directly: Growth Mindset as Deficit Ideology"
https://radicalscholarship.wordpress.com/2016/08/08/failing-still-to-address-poverty-directly-growth-mindset-as-deficit-ideology/

I really enjoyed this article because we are currently discussing growth and fixed mindsets in my ELED 400 class. This article brought up some new ideas, things we haven't discussed: the connections between mindset and socio-economic status. I appreciate that this is another side of the discussion, one that takes the idea of "growth mindset" with a grain of salt. I liked the statement, "if we relieve children of food insecurity, home transience, etc., we are likely to find that those students in poverty who appeared to lack “grit” and growth mindset would then demonstrate those treasured qualities." This made me think of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and the importance that students feel safe and have basic necessities like food and shelter before they can be successful in the classroom. My mother is a seventh grade math teacher in a school where many students are impoverish. More than 50% of the students have free or reduced lunch. She tells me about students that fall asleep in class because they can't get a good night's sleep or students that don't get breakfast before they come to school. This breaks my heart- and worries me greatly. The article also states, "the media, the public, and educators often fail to acknowledge two significant flaws with growth mindset: (1) the essential deficit ideology that focuses all of the blame (and thus the need for a cure) in the individual child, and (2) the larger failure to see the need to address poverty directly instead of indirectly through formal education," which I think is a very interesting perspective. These flaws were never addressed in my other classes, growth mindsets were simply praised. I'm glad this article could give me a little more information, so that I can further my own interpretations that I hope to bring into the classroom one day.

Article 2: "Professional Knowledge for the Teaching of Writing"
http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/teaching-writing

This article is a great resource for anyone looking to learn more about teaching writing. I like that it talked about the "web of relationships" or the many people that affect the writing process. It isn't simply the writer and the reader- it is friends, family, the community, and the greater world that influences a piece of literary work. Writing becomes more universal when all parties in this "web" are considered. The article continued, talking about how everyone has the capacity to write. This connects to the growth mindset theory brought up in Article 1. It isn't that students can either write well or can't write well- there is a process that, when taught, can increase any student's writing ability. This process is important for teachers to understand. I really agreed with the section "writing and reading are related." I've always believed that the more you read, the better you write. The more you read, the more you learn, actually. Reading literary techniques means you're more likely to use them later, more likely to identify them when they're presented in a different form. Overall, I found this article incredibly informative and plan to use it as a resource in the future.

Chapter 1: Cadeiro-Kaplan

This chapter talked about different types of literacy: functional literacy, cultural literacy, progressive literacy, and critical literacy. It seems to me, that the best kind of writing curriculum would include all of these literacies. In my opinion, functional literacy, or strictly curriculum based work, is most common. Cultural literacy, or writing on cultural beliefs and values, is incredibly important but can often be avoided because there are so many sensitive subjects in our world. Teachers must be careful when sharing certain content with students. I believe that progressive literacy is the most enjoyable because it includes the student's voice and personal experiences. I enjoy this writing the most because I connect more with the work than if I'm basing it off something I've only read about or heard about. The chapter mentioned the connection between intellectual and emotional involvement and retention, which I think is critical to consider. Finally, critical literacy, or writing that puts the student in a real world, historic context. It focusses on the everyday world and how that goes hand in hand with their curriculum. This writing is very important for students as citizens of our country and as citizens of the world. It also helps expand critical thinking. I did not have much experience with this writing when I was in school. We may have had class discussions, but the majority of the writing I did was functional. I believe if a balance can be established in the classroom, then more students can be reached and writing can become less of a "chore." I found that many of the ideas in article 2 connected with these four literacies. There are so many parts to writing, and writing well, that teachers must give specific attention to how it is being presented in the classroom. This chapter discusses that knowing these literacies is more of a first step in building policies and practices. One must engage these ideologies in "forms of literacy" to expand the effect in the classroom.

Reading Response for Class on 1/24

Let's begin with chapter 1 of Kelly Gallagher's text Teaching Adolescent Writers. First and foremost, I love the structure of this textbook. I find it very straightforward and easy to navigate. That being said, when the "Top Ten Writing Wrongs in Secondary Schools" appeared, I was immediately drawn to the list. Reading through, I started thinking about my own experience in a middle school and high school classroom, and how my education fell under many of these "wrongs." I think many people would say the same. #2 stuck out to me the most - "writing is sometimes assigned rather than taught." I remember this: getting an assignment and having no idea how to complete it. I was well aware of the structure I needed to write in- the five paragraph essay with the dull, descriptive introduction and the summative conclusion. I knew I needed evidence- quotes from the text, and I had to explain why I picked them.

When I got to college and started taking higher level english classes, my professors started pushing for more. They wanted an argument, thoughtful inquiry and analysis. I could even use voice and narrative to drive my writing! I realized quickly that out of the hundreds of papers I wrote in high school, none of that had been asked of me. This initially made me nervous, seeing as I plan to become a middle school english teacher. However, I know there are ways to correct these problems we all experienced so frequently. Gallagher outlines them as "Righting Writing Wrongs: The Pillars of Writing Success" and has a very concise list that would be easy to implement in the classroom, as long as the teacher gives these solutions enough time and attention. I'm pleased to say that some of these have been emphasized in my methods courses throughout my program as an education major. I hope that means that the tides are shifting, that changes in writing in the classroom are happening.

The chapter concluded with "Writing Reasons" which I found connected to our second piece of reading, the introduction in Linda Christensen's text Teaching for Joy and Justice. Both texts discussed bringing students' lives to the forefront of writing, and that a connection to their assignment will provide the best results. I liked the section in the introduction called "Uncovering Brilliance" because it emphasized writing as something more than an assessment or testable means. Each student has a talent, a "brilliance" of their own and it is up to us as educators to discover what that is and use it to enhance their learning and experience in the classroom. There were many similar ideas in the section "And We're Never Done," connecting again to Gallagher's text. It's a process, teaching writing, and we are all involved as future educators, current educators, and past students of writing. We are learning and growing and changing as student need does. I loved the quote from Christensen - "Teaching is like life, filled with daily routines- laundry, cooking, cleaning the bathtub- and then moments of brilliance."

In the final article of this grouping, "To High School English Teachers (and All Teachers)," I found the list of lessons or tips broader, but none the less, important. Reading from a blog is different than reading from a textbook. For some reason, I personally feel like it makes the information more real and pertinent. The author credits himself in the beginning as a teacher of 40 years and a published author of 30, who still works with teacher candidates and active teachers. When reading the tips, I felt that this experience really came through. I especially liked the lesson - "Choice, Joy, and Kindness." I think it is incredibly important that we foster a love of writing in students, and this does not happen when "we hammer the five-paragraph essay into students" or force them to all write on the same prompt, based off the same text. Again, this was often my own experience in high school, and I now cringe when thinking back. Why? What was the point?

Now I find myself wondering, what if I hadn't formed my own love of writing? I understand why many of my classmates today hate essays. They were most likely taught to. Maybe if they had been allowed to lead their own journey as a writer, with some helpful guidance along the way, things would be different.