Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Reading and Writing
Role Models
Alexander Davidson
MRA Annual Conference
2015
About Me: Alexander Davidson University of Michigan, 2010
English, History, Secondary Education
Madonna University, 2013
MAT, Literacy Education
Reading Specialist certification
University of Detroit Jesuit High School
and Academy
Five years of teaching
Back at my old high school
English: freshmen and sophomores
Study Skills: seventh grade
@_AlexanderJohn
AlexanderDavidsonTeacherAuthor
Website
AlexanderDavidsonBooks.com
Welcome to the University of Detroit Jesuit High
School and Academy!
Who We Are…
All boys
Private, Catholic, college-preparatory
Only one left in the city of Detroit
Enrollment: 900 (Grades 7-12, 2013-2014)
16% living in the city of Detroit
31% Students receiving need based aid
24% receiving merit-based scholarships (9-12)
14 varsity athletic teams
34 co-curricular clubs
My Classroom
Freshman English I, Period 4 Freshman English I, Period 6
(Not pictured – oops!)
The Problem with Boys (Guys Read)
“The U.S. Department of Education reading tests for the last 30 years show boys scoring worse than girls in every age group, every year.”
“Eighth grade boys are 50 percent more likely to be held back,”
“two-thirds of Special Education Students in high school are boys,” and
“overall college enrollment is higher for girls than boys.”
Boys in the Classroom “Biologically, boys are slower to develop than girls and
often struggle with reading and writing skills.” (Guys Read)
“It is possible that achievement in a particular area for boys is important in order to foster positive attitudes in that area”( Logan & Johnston, 2009).
Therefore, “strategies for improving attitudes to reading in school will be likely to have a positive impact on reading frequency and ability after school” (Logan & Johnston 2009).
What They Get in School Many female teachers are assigning novels “meant to
induce sympathy for the feelings of characters with problems. But most boys are bored by these books, and they are less likely than girls to read books that they think are boring in order to please teachers or parents” Rhoads, 2010).
These novels don’t appeal to the “action-oriented, competitive learning style of many boys” and work against the effort at improving reading skills (Guys Read).
“In part, boys fall so far behind in reading because educators often don’t give them stories that would appeal to them—adventures and combat, heroes and villains”(Rhoads 2010).
Boys, Men and Literacy (Guys Read) Because of the majority of adults involved
in kid’s reading are women, boys might
not see reading as a masculine activity.
As a society, we teach boys to suppress
feelings. Boys aren’t practiced and often
don’t feel comfortable exploring the
emotions and feelings found in fiction.
Men have to step up as role models of
literacy. What we do is more important
than all we might say.
What I do…
Reflection on the writing process Mr. Davidson’s reading wall for the school year
But you’re a teacher…
Obviously an English teacher is going
to read and write
What if I don’t want to be a writer?
What if I don’t want to be a teacher?
So Many Questions…
When are we
ever going to
need this?
Why are we
studying this?
When will I use this
in my future job?
What’s
the
point?
So what do we do?
How do we keep our
students motivated?
Male Brain-based Learning When discussing the process of
teaching the Fibonacci sequence, boys are stimulated by the properties of the numbers while the girls look for its relationship to the real world (National Association for Single Sex Public Education, 2006).
When describing the different lesson plans for boys and girls, the lesson for the boys focused on the process of finding the number and figuring out its relation to pi.
The boys appeared to be more motivated to see how things work and solve puzzles, the action-based side of mathematics and science.
Give Students a Purpose
My idea:
Add reading and writing role models to the classroom
Have different careers talk about the reading and writing in their jobs
Let students see that skills they are working on today will be beneficial
in the future
Gives their learning a purpose
Problem:
Asking volunteers to come to school
Having volunteers available for multiple class periods with schedule
Getting students to have the same valuable experience
Reading and Writing Role Model Project
Intended Goal:
Video interviews
Parent volunteers
Every student interviews and submits video
Watch videos as a class on Fridays
Students write reflections on the video as exit
tickets
Students see the value of what’s being taught
in an English classroom
THE PROCESSHere’s how I did it…
Buy In and Support
Talk to Assistant Principal of Student Affairs
Let him know what the project is about
Talk about student expectations and activities
Discuss the process and logistics of the project
APPROVED!
Talk to Parents
Parent letter to describe the project
Inform parents of student expectations
Inform parents of expectations for them
Parent Letter
• What is the project?
• What’s the purpose?
• What is required of my son?
• Who is involved in the process?
• What are my duties as a parent?
What’s the Purpose/Project?
This year, we are branching out on a whole new adventure here at U
of D Jesuit High School. For the first time ever, I am attempting a
project to bring reading and writing role models into the classroom. So
many times, I am asked, “Why are we learning this?” or “When am I
ever going to use this?” With the addition to reading and writing role
models to the classroom, hopefully these questions will be answered,
and a spark of motivation ignited in our students.
Something new
Motivate students
What is required of my son? Who’s involved?
This will be a student video interview project that will require a freshman student to interview and record a reading and writing role model about how they currently use reading and writing skills in their profession. These role models are primarily parents and family members of current U of D Jesuit families who have generously volunteered their time for this project. Each student will interview a volunteer about their job, and these videos will be spread out and shown over the school year to help motivate the freshmen and keep them reminded of what they are working toward.
Student-centered project
Technology
Reliable and trustworthy volunteers
What are my duties as a parent?
The addition of reading and writing role models to the classroom has been shown to boost literacy and motivation in male students. I hope you will support me in this endeavor to successfully launch this project for the first time. As a parent, there are a few things I will need from you, too. While all communication with the role model should be made by the student, please allow your son to CC you on all emails. This will need to be a face to face interview for the video portion of the project, so I’m sure your son would also appreciate assistance with finding a good time to schedule the meeting and getting transportation.
Support
Scheduling
Transportation
Student Safety
While all of these volunteers are trusted adults, I would appreciate it
if you could also be present during the interview between the role
model and your son. For the comfort of the volunteer, please avoid
having the interviews at a private location. Quiet spots like coffee
shops or libraries would work best. This is a worthwhile project, so
thank you in advance for all of your help and support.
Parents should be present
No private locations (comfort of students and volunteers)
Quiet and public
Call for Volunteers
PARENT VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!Do you have an interesting job? Are you willing to be interviewed by a U of D Jesuit student about that job? If so, then Mr. Davidson needs your help.
Mr. Davidson is looking to add reading and writing role models to his classroom via student-created video interviews. A student would ask you some simple questions about the reading and writing involved in your job in September, and these video projects will be spread out and played over the school year. The hope is that through this project, students will see a more direct link to why what they are learning in the English classroom is important in the real world.
Volunteers will be asked four simple questions:- What type of reading do you do at your job?
- What type of reading skills are needed to be successful?
- What type of writing do you do at your job?
- What type of writing skills are needed to be successful?
Call for Volunteers (cont’d)If you are interested in being interviewed and video-taped for this project, please email Mr. Davidson ([email protected]) with the subject line "Reading/Writing Role Models". The email should include your name, city of residence (for matching with students), your job title, and personal contact information. If you know anyone else with an interesting career that you think would be good for this project, please forward this information along! I am looking to assign this project sometime after Labor Day and give the students a few weeks to schedule and perform their interviews.
We are looking for, but are not limited to, the following careers: lawyer, judge, doctor, vet, police officer, fire fighter, armed forces, manager, consultant, engineer, architect, nurse, professor, accountant, CIO/CEO/CFO, secretary, banker, entrepreneur, salesman, service industry worker, or anything else that you think is fun or unique.
Call for Volunteers - Methods School-wide Newsletter
Cubs News
Sent out once a week
Multiple weeks to increased number of
volunteers
Announcements at “Mini Class Night”
Talk to current parents
Personal Begging
Talk to past parents
Talk to personal friends and family
Great Response from Volunteers Worship director
Magazine writer
Lawyer
Financial consultant
Social worker
Accountant
Forensics psychologist
Doctor
Pediatrics
Consultant
Graphic designer
Business consultant
Public Relations Rep
Attorney
Flight attendant
Sales manager
Bioengineer
Judge
Voice over talent
Entrepreneur
College admissions director
Military engineer
Executives
Neuropsychologist
Speech pathologist
Police Dept. Sheriff
Teacher
Engineer
Production manager
Systems analyst
Police officer
CEO
Appeals attorney
Advertising
Editor
Reporter
Result: 32 volunteers for 50
students, some had to find
their own interviewees
Student Handout
Explain purpose to students
Motivate students
Focus on English skills
Look at future careers
Improve communication skills
Give directions
Provide important dates
Rough draft
Communication email
Video of interview
Reflection of interview
Helpful Guidelines for Students
Email communication outline
Greeting
Introduction
Project explanation
Thank you
Schedule a time
Thank them again
Signing off
Email subject lines
CC a parent
Rough draft of email to teacher
Interview Guidelines
Location (quiet)
Preparation for volunteer
Recording/Techonology
Interview questions
Video
Editing, Submitting
Reflection
Typed, summary/reflection questions
How Do You Grade This? Original Goal: 5 minute videos, marked down if over 7 minutes
Problem: Some volunteers were very chatty
Not the students fault!
Current Solution: Everyone gets points for credit
Figuring this out is future Mr. Davidson’s problem
Student Written Reflections When you first heard about this assignment, what were your
thoughts? Were you excited? Anxious? Dreading it? Why did you feel this way?
If you were assigned a volunteer, what were your predictions for how the interview would go? Did you have any predetermined beliefsabout that person’s job? What were they?
If you were not assigned a volunteer, how did you decide who to interview? When you knew their job, did you have any predetermined beliefs about that person’s job? What were they?
During the interview, how do you think it went? Were there any challenges? How did you overcome them? Were there any successes, and if so, what was a success?
Student Reflections (cont’d) After having completed your interview, what are your feelings about
that career you learned about? What did you maybe not know
before about the reading and writing involved in their jobs? Did
anything surprise you? What do you think about the reading and
writing required in their career?
Having finished the assignment, what do you think? Have your
thoughts changed about the importance of reading and writing? Is
there anything specific you want to work on while in high school to
make sure you are prepared for later? Was this assignment helpful in
opening your eyes to the importance of reading and writing to be
successful outside of school? Explain your thoughts.
Student Reflection
“I thought it was going to be boring,
pointless, and a lot of work. I saw it as just
another school assignment… I did not want
to do this assignment… I didn’t think it would
change my opinion about the importance
of reading and writing involved.” - Zeke
“When this project was assigned, at
first I felt a little bit nervous about
having to interview a person that I
didn’t know and just the idea
overwhelmed me.” - Ben
“At first, I just did not want to do it because I
thought it would be extremely time
consuming…I felt that this would just be “one
more project.” - Johnny
“When this project was first
mentioned in class, I was
extremely excited. It combined
two of my favorite things into one
project, journalism and
filmmaking.” - Anthony
“I honestly did not feel like doing it
when I first heard about it.” - Nathan
Student Reflection
“Before the interview, I honestly didn’t
really know how much reading and writing
doctors need, but I learned that doctors
read and write all day long!” - Johnny
“I knew it was hard to be a writer, but I
didn’t know that it was harder than
what I thought….It takes time for a
writer to think of ideas to write.” - Noah
“Another thing that surprised me was all
of the kinds of writing he does: creative
writing, communication in email,
persuasive writing, and explanatory
writing.” - Calvin
Student Reflection
“I didn’t know how much reading and
writing was used… and that much of it
is in the form of an email. I was
surprised how much reading is required
of a graphic designer to become
familiar with how to make a design that
appeals to the appropriate audience.”
- Zeke
“Looking back on the reading and writing
skills that he described I think that without
developed skills in those categories, he
really couldn’t do any of this daily work
because it all is revolved around reading
and writing.” - Ben
“I now think that reading and writing
are not the only essential part of a
journalist’s career. Both people skills
and research skills are major
components of the quality of a
journalist’s writing.” - Anthony
“I never thought into it that much, how
he needed to know how to analyze
the lyrics so he can know what the
music really means.” - Nathan
Student Reflection
“I now understand how important reading
and writing is…This assignment was
definitely useful in helping me to see how
reading and writing will help me to be
successful.” - Zeke
“I know it really helped me, and I’m sure
my classmates, to view reading and
writing as a serious skillset to take
on…This project helped greatly.” - Ben
“I always thought that reading and writing
were important skills, but now I know that
they are even more important than I
thought.” - Calvin
“This assignment was a terrific
experience from which I have learned
and off of I will grow my reading and
writing skills.” - Anthony
“My eyes have been opened to the
importance of reading and writing.”
- Nathan
Dreams Versus Reality
Original Plan:
Videos on Friday in class
Student reflection responses as exit tickets
Too much to teach; I need my class time!
Adjusted Plan:
Role Model Mondays
Watch videos at home Monday night
Fill out reflection worksheet due Tuesdays
Weekly routine
Role Model Monday - Responses
Overall Response
Strong parent support and
involvement
More parents want to join next year
Volunteers want to participate
again next year
Strong student reflections
Strong continual conversations on
reading and writing
Able to go back to project for
motivation and purpose
Goodbye Questions!
When are we
ever going to
need this?
Why are we
studying this?
When will I use this
in my future job?
What’s
the
point?
References Canadian Council on Learning. (2009). Why boys don’t like to read: Gender
differences in reading achievement. Lessons in Learning.
Guys Read. (n.d.). Guys and reading. Retrieved from http://guysread.com/about/.
Logan, L. & Johnson, R. (2009). Gender differences in reading ability and attitudes: Examining where the differences lie. Journal of Research in Reading, 32 (2), 199-214.
Mercer, K. (2011). Improving literacy outcomes for years 5-8 boys. Kairarnga, 12 (2), 52-58.
National Association for Single Sex Public Education. (2006). Learning style differences. Retrieved from http://www.singlesexschools.org/research-learning.htm.
Ontario Education. (2003). Me read? no way!: A practical guide to improving boys’ literacy skills. Retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/brochure/meread.pdf.
Rhoads, S. (2010). Considering sex differences for effective education. Gender differences. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Considering_Sex/.
Share the News!
TELL ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!
SHARE THE LOVE ON TWITTER!
#MRA15 #MRAhappy
@_AlexanderJohn
@MichiganReading
FIND ME ON FACEBOOK!
Facebook.com/AlexanderDavidsonTeacherAuthor
CHECK ME OUT ONLINE!
AlexanderDavidsonBooks.com
VIEW THE INFO ON SLIDESHARE!
http://www.slideshare.net/ADave411/reading-and-writing-role-models
EMAIL ME!
SCECH Session Code
SUGGD910
