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The SCL curriculum currently requires students to read 4 shared texts - Tuesdays with Morrie, To Kill a Mockingbird, Othello, and Twelve Angry Men. In addition to the shared texts, students must read a minimum of 3 choice books all from different genres. While students have no trouble reading choice books, they struggle reading the shared texts. Students have little to no motivation in reading a book that they did not choose to read. This has been a common problem that occurs every year in every school for all of eternity.
Students need to feel empowered in order to buy into something. Giving students choice gives them the message that 1) you care what they want and 2) you are willing to work with them. No one wants to be forced into anything and usually forcing something upon someone results in retaliation. Students retaliate by not doing the work because they erroneously believe their choice to not do their work hurts the teacher. In order to boost student motivation, I wanted to work with guided choice where both teachers and students win and compromise. Lit Circles provide a great foundation for what I wish to achieve. Teachers choose a handful of books and then give students a choice of which one book they would like to study for the unit. Lit Circle discussions are also far less intimidating than whole class discussions, which allow for more student participation. Students will be divided into five groups. Each group will read a different book. The first Lit Circle Unit will be of the books written by Mitch Albom. Albom’s books share in themes and concepts, which is ideal in building knowledge and understanding for students. Students tend to name Albom’s books as one of their favorites and while they are rather easy reads, there is incredible depth in them. Being that this is the First Lit Circle Unit, I want to keep it fairly simple so that students understand the process. The Second Lit Circle Unit will be in the second trimester and will be working with Classic books, which will be much more difficult. It is important that students embrace and buy into the process for the first one.
After being presented with book talks on all of the possible books, students fill out a ballot of their top three choice. Giving students choice is one of the most important things that is often overlooked. Listen to what my students say about the importance of choice.
After being presented with book talks on all of the possible books, students fill out a ballot of their top three choice. Giving students choice is one of the most important things that is often overlooked. Listen to what my students say about the importance of choice.
The DreamIt Project is an assignment for Michigan State University's Master of Arts in Education Technology course CEP 800. The purpose of this assignment is to see how students will "intelligently integrate new technologies to help student understanding within [their] subject area in a transformational way." The ideas of this program and project are centered around TPACK.
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