Monday, November 11, 2013

Readicide

Bibliography
Gallagher, Kelly. Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers, 2009. Print.

image from: http://kellygallagher.org/books_dvds/books_dvds.html


Summary of the book from Kelly Gallagher's website:
"Read-i-cide n: The systematic killing of the love of reading, often exacerbated by the inane, mind-numbing practices found in schools. Reading is dying in our schools. Educators are familiar with many of the factors that have contributed to the decline — poverty, second-language issues, and the ever-expanding choices of electronic entertainment. In this provocative new book, Kelly Gallagher suggests, however, that it is time to recognize a new and significant contributor to the death of reading: our schools.

In Readicide, Kelly argues that American schools are actively (though unwittingly) furthering the decline of reading. Specifically, he contends that the standard instructional practices used in most schools are killing reading by:
• Valuing the development of test-takers over the development of lifelong readers;
• Mandating breadth over depth in instruction;
• Requiring students to read difficult texts without proper instructional support;
• Insisting that students focus solely on academic texts;
• Drowning great books with sticky notes, double-entry journals, and marginalia;
• Ignoring the importance of developing recreational reading;
• And losing sight of authentic instruction in the shadow of political pressures.

Kelly doesn't settle for only identifying the problems. Readicide provides teachers, literacy coaches, and administrators with specific steps to reverse the downward spiral in reading—steps that will help prevent the loss of another generation of readers."


My Thoughts
I'd heard something on my library list-serv about this book. My library already owned it, so I put it on my "to read" pile. Very interesting read (and only 118 pages)! I wish I'd read it while I was still an English teacher. I would have changed a few things about my teaching.  Fortunately, I still work with a group of high school students and think I can use some ideas with them. The book also confirmed some things I did right in the classroom and helped me think about how I can help students in my role as librarian.

Testing is killing curriculum. There is no question about this.  The data that administrators and legislators use to decide if teachers are doing their job are not factoring in the human component. Teachers are not producing widgets, we are trying to educate a human being. Each tester must fit into a box (yet, ironically, we constantly talk about thinking outside of boxes!).

I liked how Gallagher examines readicide and gives teachers some ideas on how to still play well with the people who care more about the test than the student while really helping students learn how to enjoy reading--even when the text is difficult. He states that "if students are taught to read and write well, they will do fine on mandated test" (Gallagher 26). YES!

We need to expose kids to authentic reading and give them experiences to have prior knowledge when they read. "Kids without prior knowledge are at a disadvantage, regardless of reading ability" (Gallagher 38). He gives an example from an actual state mandated test about "The Farrier." Students without prior knowledge had no idea what they were reading. He later gives an example using baseball. As an avid fan myself, I had to "decode" the words being used. I understood the words, but not always the meaning. Very eye-opening!

Gallagher also validates the use of SSR in the classroom. Gallagher states, "SSR is actually a valuable investment in test preparation...SSR is necessary to allow students an opportunity to build their prior knowledge and background...[and] SSR provides many students with their only opportunity to develop a recreational reading habit" (42). HIP, HIP, HOORAY from this teacher!

One of my favorite analogies Gallagher uses is the movie. He gives an anecdote about a student saying her reading time was "ruined by the teacher's insistence on repeatedly stopping to that students could analyze the book" (Gallagher 59).  He continues the explanation with a question, "Would you stay in a movie theater if the projectionist stopped the film twenty-two times?" (Gallagher 61).

This book is powerful! I want my English department buddies to read this; I want my principal to read this; I want our curriculum director to read this; I want my teacher friends in other schools to read this; I want my daughter's teachers to read this. In fact, I've changed my email signature to tell everyone they should read this book.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Allegiant

Bibliography
Roth, Veronica. Allegiant. New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2013. Print.
image from: http://thedivergenttrilogy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/photo-1.jpg



My Thoughts:
This is the third book in the Roth trilogy. I read the first two installments of the story this summer (one of the best stories I read!), so I was counting down until I could buy this book.

Tris and Four are the narrators of this tale. At first, I didn't like the flipping back and forth, especially if I had to stop reading during a chapter. When I came back to read, I had to remember which voice I was reading. However, I did like seeing more of Four's internal struggles and his thoughts.

This book did not disappoint, even though I didn't like some things that happened. I know it had to happen, and since I've had a couple of days to think about it, I know that Roth kept true to her characters. This is a solid story, and even though it is dystopian, it is not so far removed that it isn't possible. I believe some kind of BUREAU OF GENETIC WELFARE probably exists.

There are several twists and turns that kept me saying, "OOOHHHH!" We get some back story on both Tris' and Four's parents. We realize that great inventions can also become deadly weapons.

Some questions I kept thinking about while reading is how do we know what the truth really is? Who can we believe to give accurate information? Who can we trust? Which side is the "right" side? Roth does a great job examining humanity and showing the reader that not everything is easily decided.

I marked so many pages in this book, that my coworker laughed. She asked what I marked. I flag things I want to remember, things I think are foreshadowing, things I thought were funny and things that are ponderable. I like the way Roth explains and describes.

For example, here are some things I marked (without any spoilers or clues):

  • "I wonder if fears ever really go away, or if they just lost their power over us" (Roth 91).
  • "People are just divided by different things, fighting different wars" (Roth 249).
  • "I think that no matter how smart, people usually see what they're already looking for" (Roth 256).
  • "I wonder if this is how it is with all evil men, that to someone, they look just like good men, talk like good men, are just as likable as good men" (Roth 321).
  • "When you control information, or manipulate it, you don't need force to keep people under your thumb. They stay there willingly" (Roth 346).
  • "I stay with him because I choose to, every day that I wake up...I choose him over and over again, and he chooses me" (Roth 372). This one made me think about my marriage. Yep, we choose each other, and it's work, but the work is worth it!
  • "To me, grief is a devastating numbness, every sensation dulled" (Roth 503). I can relate to this. I recently lost an uncle, and numb is the best word I can describe how I feel.
The title reference first appears on page 20.

I am so happy I found this story! A friend recommended Divergent to me a few years ago. I didn't pick it up, didn't pick it up, didn't pick it up. Finally, I picked it up. Now, it's my go to recommendation book. Well done, Veronica Roth! I can't wait to see what you come out with next.