ECI 521 Teaching Young Adult Literature Findings
YAL Survey Finding:
Through the survey regarding the significance of Young Adult Literature in ECI 521, I have found students and teachers are all interested in interactive reading based on Reader-Response reading theory and Inquiry-based talking and writing strategies. The survey also indicated the profound influence of reading and the reading community on students learning outcome and developmental growth. Young adult literature involves different themes, including diverse cultural customers, races, gender, ethnics, religions, etc. Through Reader-response strategy integrated with technology, students make their choices, identify themselves, and have a good knowledge of others and the world over with teachers' appropriate scaffolding or direction.
According to Louise Rosenblatt (1991), “aesthetic reading is a process in which emotions, attitudes, or stances on the part of young readers are addressed. We read for information, but we are also conscious of emotions about it and feel pleasure by reading” (p. 445). Students read not only for enjoyment, but also for appreciating the art and enlarging their understanding of the world around them, which is very significant to improve their global learning engagement.
Based on my survey, I also found students also yearn for a safe, open, and comfortable class environment for using and reading literature to expand their vision and help boost confidence in participating in global tasks. More interestingly, both teachers and students are well aware of the important role technology plays in global learning.
Through the survey regarding the significance of Young Adult Literature in ECI 521, I have found students and teachers are all interested in interactive reading based on Reader-Response reading theory and Inquiry-based talking and writing strategies. The survey also indicated the profound influence of reading and the reading community on students learning outcome and developmental growth. Young adult literature involves different themes, including diverse cultural customers, races, gender, ethnics, religions, etc. Through Reader-response strategy integrated with technology, students make their choices, identify themselves, and have a good knowledge of others and the world over with teachers' appropriate scaffolding or direction.
According to Louise Rosenblatt (1991), “aesthetic reading is a process in which emotions, attitudes, or stances on the part of young readers are addressed. We read for information, but we are also conscious of emotions about it and feel pleasure by reading” (p. 445). Students read not only for enjoyment, but also for appreciating the art and enlarging their understanding of the world around them, which is very significant to improve their global learning engagement.
Based on my survey, I also found students also yearn for a safe, open, and comfortable class environment for using and reading literature to expand their vision and help boost confidence in participating in global tasks. More interestingly, both teachers and students are well aware of the important role technology plays in global learning.
YAL Survey Example
ECI 545 Reading Literacies Findings:
Proportions of Informational Text in Reading Class to Supplement Literature Reading
The CCSS follow the 2009 Reading Framework of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP; National Assessment Governing Board, 2008) in calling for an equal balance of literary and informational texts in multiple subject areas for the elementary grades, explicitly defining the percentage of informational text students should be exposed to across the curriculum as they progress through elementary, middle, and high school—with the percentage of informational text increasing steadily from 50% in the elementary grades to 70% by graduation (Alexander & Jetton, 2000).
Class Application:
Apply strategies gained from ECI 521, ECI 545, ECI 520, and ECI 620 through PDA framework
Pre--reading
Example: Students' own choice of books of different genres regarding global cultures
Pre--reading
- Inspired by the book--Using 20% Inquiry Time, Genius Hour (please see Appendix VI), and PBL... in ECI 620, the Reader-response theory from ECI 521, and Social Constructivism---schemata theory and Social Learning theory from ECI 545 (please see Appendix III), student are encouraged to make their own choice based on Reader-response regarding diverse cultures, global issues, including racial issues, gender issues, environmental issues, or resource scarcity, etc., in tandem with teachers' proper scaffolding;
- I will apply class strategies from ECI 521 (please see Appendix II)---Video-Book Talk, Book Trailer, and Interdisciplinary curricular planning unit to engage students in reading global topics. Students read, think, share, collaborate, and talk. Through Video-Book Talk or produce book trailers, students engaged reading stories that related to themselves or something they feel connected with across the world.
- Through the great proportion of informational text proved in ECI 545, printed or non-printed, teachers provide a wider exposure to multicultural themes through reading and watching (please see Appendix IV).
- I will apply the effective strategies considering the intwining relationships of reading and writing in ECI 521 and ECI 520 to create a trusting and supportive class climate with the good use of digital tools by motivating students to keep up reading and writing about their response to the global cultural texts. For instance, blogs, daily journals, twitter chat, Wikispaces, YALP (young adult literature partner groups), weekly prompts, to reflect on their reading feedback and thoughts;
- Inspired by the project-based inquiry approach in ECI 546, I will encourage students to come up with a compelling question regarding global topics they are interested in by reading and observing, and motivate them to do close reading with high order thinking. With Lev Vygosky's social learning theory in ECI 545---the Zone of Proximal Development, teachers take appropriate scaffold students with primary questions and supporting questions, and encourage them to analyze and collect relative information and evidence to address their compelling questions.
- Using metacognitive activities gained from ECI 620 and ECI 520 (Please see Appendix I), such as Think-Pair-Share, Jigsaw group, Fishbone activity, etc., students collaboratively give peers feedback to each other's analysis of information and evidence to facilitate each other to clarify the ideas for their compelling questions.
- Students choose a digital tool to produce their project that centered on universal issues, such as girl education, civil rights, environmental pollution, etc.
- 1. Project-based Inquiry from ECI 546.
- 2. Three Letter Project from ECI 520. Students read cross cultural texts, literal and informational, and do research based on reading to expand their thinking, analyze information, elaborate on and synthesize the evidence, and then write proposals and solutions for Three Letter Project.
- 3. Multi--genre Project from ECI 520. Students choose a global topic through reading, collect information, including process notes and products in progress, as well as possible sources, as needed. Students are also required to develop an inquiry question, and related questions, about the global topics. Then students compose their multi-genre pieces. Each piece in the paper utilizes a different genre, reveals one facet of the topic, and makes its own point. Conventional devices do not connect the pieces in a multi-genre paper, nor are the pieces always in chronological order. The paper is instead a collage of writing and artistic expression with an overarching theme that engulfs and informs the reader (Allen, 2001, P. 2).
- 4. TED Talk from ECI 620. Students come up with a global topic. Based on reading, students collect information and supporting evidence, and propose their findings. Applying the elements of TED talk, as advocate, students have their voices heard through internet like a real TED speakers.
Example: Students' own choice of books of different genres regarding global cultures
Sample Reading Materials Regarding Global Topics
Literal Readings (with URL)
American Rhetorics--Top 100 speeches
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
The Freedom Writers (Movie Trailer)
The Freedom Writers Diaries
I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King
Bud, not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
References:
Allen, C. (2001). The multi-genre research paper: Voice, passion, and discovery in grades 4–6. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Allen, C. (2001). The multi-genre research paper: Voice, passion, and discovery in grades 4–6. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.