Final Reflection

I really have enjoyed this course. Within the English major I have found I most enjoy the classes that focus on reading and writing theories and practices. Thinking back on this semester I feel I have learned from the ideas of Gee, Harvey, and the articles we have read. Some ideas that stand out are: Gee’s ideas of multimodal projects and affinity groups. The multimodal assignment helped me understand the importance of providing information to students on multiple levels. The learning process seems more effective and efficient when students are able to read, listen, and watch. This is also a great way to make sure to reach each student’s individual learning style. I also really liked the idea of an affinity group. Gee makes a good point when stating the importance of people who understand the same concept or idea discussing and learning together. In my project I talked about my job as an RA. The RA job serves as a good example for the need of an affinity group, for most people do not know what the position entails. However, once I am in a group of RA’s we are immediately able to relate and discuss. It is important for teachers to understand the power of affinity groups and try to capture these in the classroom. Whether this means having students grouped by their common knowledge or separated by their focused areas, it is valuable letting students discuss, relate, and learn from each other.

From Harvey’s book I have reconsidered the value and need for nonfiction in the classroom. Students need to learn that nonfiction does not simply mean reading from a dry textbook. I really liked the idea of having “anchor texts” as part of the curriculum, for it gives students a starting point in which they can expand. Students need to have a base of information, but then should be able to focus on their interests and questions. In the final writing sequence assignment I realized the importance of incorporating multiple texts in multiple literary genres, and found it fun to give students the opportunity to make inquiries themselves and have them get excited and interested in a topic.

I felt I learned the most for the articles we read in our groups. It was in the articles I realized the importance of giving student’s the opportunity to pick topics. I had always thought it was the job of the teacher to be creative in choosing assignments and topics, but I had never considered giving students more freedom on assignments. I think it is a good idea to have students become excited about their education. What better way to create this excitement than by giving them choice and opportunity. I also really liked the idea of personal narratives. By having students write about their experiences and share them with one another students are able to expand their knowledge off of their peers’ experiences and the class is able to form a set of standards, knowledge, and beliefs. I loved the article that talked about a student who shared his bi-racial background and then another student began writing a story about a character with a bi-racial background. In the memorandum assignment, it was interesting to write professionally to an administrator about the ideas in the articles, for I felt I could make a difference and that my ideas and suggestions were beneficial for the classroom.

Overall, this class has made me think more critically about teaching and how to effectively reach my students with reading and writing assignments at the high school level. I am excited to begin teaching and I really believe this class has helped shape me to better think about my teaching style and assignments. This class was helpful for I felt you, Peter, implemented most of the concepts and ideas we were learning about in your teaching. Thank you for a great semester. I really enjoyed the class and enjoyed your teaching style and assignments!