Challenge #3

By: Bode Nelson

Identity

I’d describe myself as adventurous as a reader. Thinking back to the books and series I’ve read, I enjoyed the Percy Jackson series which includes an adventurous story line. This helped my attitude towards reading I believe because I read those books and others like it at times where my desire to read was low before I began. These readings gave me hope for new texts that were introduced to me. Strategically, I utilize annotating because I find it easier to read actively when doing so. I find that a flexible way to freely express what’s important to me within the text too. Reading affects my teaching in the disciplines of English language arts and social studies as it’s a great way to ponder over ideas that are unfamiliar to me and make sense of the content and the context it’s in. Cultures, interests, and other personal aspects of a character can help me learn about myself, if I see myself represented, and others not like me, if I don’t see myself represented.

Skills

Strategy use is helpful, as annotating seemed to be something Ayden and I had in common. It helps me to actively read and consciously think about what I’m reading. I build context in the margins and in my mind about the setting of a story when pieces of it are revealed in a book. Ayden also offered similar feedback. Like the Edutopia article assigned for reading stated, “Is it time to drop ‘finding the main idea’ and teach reading in a new way?”. I believe background knowledge and context is just as, if not more important, than the themes of a novel.

Intellect

I believe comprehension is impacted by motivation and strategy use significantly. Discovering motivating reads makes me want to keep going and Ayden felt the same way in talking to him. When we’re invested in a book we tend to hold on to the information more. This could be because we see our interests, cultures, or histories reflected and can draw out the relevance of the work. Knowing this, I want my students to have a wide variety of reading options to choose from so they too can find a novel that suits them. Learning can be demonstrated in many ways and having a uniform class book that everyone reads puts those who don’t enjoy it at a disadvantage. I can explain this point to my future students in my English language arts classroom to social studies and the impact that has on individuals.

Criticality

Traditional views on reading can certainly inhibit students’ success in school. Like the points I made in the ‘Intellect’ slide prior, reading a single book puts students who don’t enjoy it at a learning disadvantage. Traditional ways often aren’t relevant to the students’ wide varieties of backgrounds and cultures they bring into the classroom. Wobbling against these practices is necessary too and I can do this by getting students to demonstrate what they’ve learned through a book chosen by them. This, coupled with striving to motivate readers so they feel as much joy in reading as possible, will display to administrators, teachers, and other students that practices can always be improved upon. In talking with Ayden, he felt he would enjoy reading a lot less if he didn’t have choices when it came to literature.