I will give a brief run through on what Rebecca and I presented and some of the interesting points which came up during the presentation.
The text that I chose for this teaching experience was The Cay. Taylor, T, (1969. America. Doubleday Publishing.
Review
…The story delves into racial prejudice and challenges readers acknowledge cultural diversity. Ironically, only through Phillips blindness is he able to see past the superficial, revealing the true character of Timothy. Readers will enjoy the development of Phillip and Timothy’s friendship as they struggle to survive against all odds. Their conversations will enlighten young and old readers and this story of survival, understanding and friendship and an unforseen ending makes for a memorable read.
The tasks that I had students engage in:
• Cover analysis
• Get students to write 3 sentences predicting the story.
• Chapter summaries
• Chapter titles
• Word list.
• Comparison of their predictions
• Book review
• Letter to the writer.
This is where I must change the approach to this learning program. Students find chapter summaries a daunting process. Often a chapter summary is mainly for teachers to know if students are reading the book or not. Having to rewrite what you have read can be a boring task. With ever task, students need to see the practicality of the task. I often hear the question from students “why are we doing this?” This question should not be taken as a sign of ignorance or stupidity. The question poses quite a complex problem on the teaching methods. If you ever hear that question being asked, as a teacher, I encourage reconsideration of your approach to the lesson. Authenticity and practicality should be obvious to students.
These ideas were discussed during the class. I will consider alternative ways to monitoring students reading in future; hopefully apply these on my next practicum too.
