Content Knowledge Blog #5
Response to “Connected:
An autobiography…”
1. One important
point of the film is that emotional connection drives everything we do. This concept is very important when trying to
help the students make connections in English.
It is important to create curriculum that drives the students based on
their emotional connections. We want our
students to care about what they learn, so they can take that and use it to
become successful, thoughtful, creative members of society. Authors want their readers to make
connections to their literature. If they
feel an emotional connection, they will understand and care about the message
of the story. Not only can an idea of
feeling connected be addressed through reading literature, but also when
reading expository pieces. Because technology
has made it easier for us to connect with people outside of our inner circle,
we learn about different perspectives about topics all over the world. By being exposed to these different
perspectives, our students are able to develop a deeper understanding and
create opinions about societal issues and develop empathy for people all over
the world.
2. With all this
information available at our fingertips, we have the capacity for so much
knowledge. One of the quotes that truly stuck out to me was “We have so much
knowledge, why is it so hard for us to see the big picture?” It is
hard for people to realize that what we do affects others and that everything
is interconnected. Teaching that concept
to high school students is a challenge.
How can we help our students use that knowledge and the exposure to
other people’s lives to look at problems and issues that are not all about
themselves? I hear the complaint a lot
of “why are we reading this” “this has
nothing to do with me”. How can I truly
teach these students that it has everything to do with them and the rest of the
human population? I think this is one
issue that I am trying to grab hold of in my injury. Maybe students will be willing to read more,
if first they read something that they feel directly relates to them, and then
show them another step and show them “classic” literature that has the same
concepts.
3. English is a
subject that is interconnected to a lot of other subjects. In terms of looking at English not only as
reading literature, but literacy in general, learning to comprehend text,
learning to back up opinions with facts, writing skills, etc. English can be connected with all
subjects. The basic four domains of English/Language
Arts are reading, writing, listening, and speaking. These are all skills that are focused on in
English that a student needs to be able to do in order to be successful in
their other classes. In terms of reading
and analyzing, this can also be connected with other disciplines. When I teach a novel, I want my students to
think about the possible social commentary throughout the novel. In terms of the novel 1984 I want the students to think about government control, and how
much is too much. I would then have them
look at articles about government control all over the world. This is bringing in issues that they would be
discussing in their history classes as well.
I want students to know that when people write literature, it usually
reflects the society or some aspect of society they feel they are living in, or
image will be living in some day. This
can also bring up topics in art, science, math, etc. Part of the English curriculum is teaching
students how to have educated conversations and be able to back them up with
evidence. This can be done with any
subject.
4. One aspect of
being a well-educated person understands the interconnection between
things. We want our students to be able
to take what they learn in English and be able to apply it in Math, Science,
Art, History, Wood Shop, Etc. and visa versa. A well-educated person sees
education as an ongoing thing that takes aspects of all parts of our lives to
try and make some sense out of it. The more knowledge someone has about
different topics, the better decisions they can make. If students are exposed to interdisciplinary
education and understand that all subjects in school are connected, the more
they will understand that how the world is connected outside of the classroom.
I responded to:
Kathryn Leonard
Emily Esguerra
I responded to:
Kathryn Leonard
Emily Esguerra
Mary,
ReplyDeleteI am inspired by your passion to bring the concept of interconnectedness into your English classes. I feel that literature can be a powerful tool that potentially touches on all sorts of subjects. I think students really appreciate when teachers can share personal stories, and maybe this can help them make connections and see the world in terms of causal relationships.
Mary,
ReplyDeleteI think that it is key to not only interest students in the material, or piece of literature being read; but to connect them emotionally. When they care about the work, or the struggles the author faced, they are going to want to read more, and to know more. So often I feel that aspect of teaching is left out, and yet making something interesting is continually harped on. People are "missing the big picture" in that we often fail to realize the reason we love our subjects is, more often than not, our emotional ties to the material, that is what drives the interest, and puts us in the classroom, and that is what we need to begin to demonstrate to students, and aim to get them emotionally invested, because I feel the rest will follow after that.
Hi Mary. I really enjoyed what you had to say about teaching high school English. I completely agree that we need to help them make connections, but also that we need to help them see the big picture. Sometimes these two seem to be at odds, especially in the minds of our students. I do think that technology can help us bridge the gap, but it's not enough to just use technology to make the curriculum accessible to teens.
ReplyDeleteMary,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed what you said about the recent media being an inlet for people to expand their horizons and see perspective and cultures they otherwise wouldn't have. The empowerment that technology brings to our society is baffling, but can be utilized in education to engage our students and prepare them for life after high school. Thanks for your blog input!