What is a good reader?

Most people think that a good reader is some one that reads all the time or someone that reads very quickly, and they are correct, that person is a good reader. However, the variety of material that they read is just as, if not more important than how fast or often they read. For instance, I love science fiction/ fantasy and drama. Hey, don't judge! And I would consider myself a very good reader by traditional standards. Now, If you were to give me a book explaining the political structure of the government of Zimbabwe, I would be less likely to comprehend what I was reading. Comprehension comes from our own prior knowledge and this knowledge is acquired not only by what we experience personally, but what we read as well. Comprehension of what we read is what truly dictates our ability to read. Reading strategies are useful, yes, but if you are reading a subject matter that is unfamiliar to you than it might as well have been written in another language.  So to answer the question, "What makes a good reader?", a good reader first and foremost is created and developed through reading a wide variety of material. As well as using reading strategies to build skills and reading often.

 In hopes to, "bridge that gap" so to speak, for the students in my class I would incorporate reading material that would cross curriculum and expose students to information that they might not have otherwise been exposed to. I would assign literature circles or research projects that included historical fiction, math scholar or artist biographies, science-fiction,etc. To develop there skills as readers I would have students assume roles while in literature circles and give them reading guide to fill out while reading for a research project. This tasks in addition to simply reading the books will increase their reading and comprehension abilities and develop meta cognition of how they are reading and comprehending.

Post 3 Games

To game or not to game! That is the question. From my perspective games in the classroom are a vital tool for learning. Without them students would be faced with rote memorization and possible boredom in school. The introduction of games, even ones that were not designed for a specific lesson, can teach students information that crosses curriculum, as well as allows them to learn life skills. Social behavior and critical thinking are a few of the life skills that would benefit the students while playing games. One of my most memorable years in school was the seventh grade. This year stood out because of the 6 week long game that played in history class. The westward expansion unit was not a topic high on my excitement meter until my teacher introduced the game. I went to class eager to play and in turn I learned about history, math, critical thinking skills, social behavior, accountability, and economics, all while playing a game.

In my science classroom I hope to integrate games to bring forth my students excitement and untapped skills. The games should be for learning new material and for practicing recall skills prior to quizzes and tests. A game that I plan to use is an atom building game. Students would be placed in to teams and asked to go up to the board, one from each team. They will given the number of protons for an element and the students will recreate that atom on the board as a diagram with the correct number of electrons surrounding that for the given element. There are many games that can be played and incorporated in to a curricula and I feel that this aspect of learning is far too often overlooked, because the stereotypes that has proliferated over the years. "If the students are having too much fun, than they couldn't possibly be learning!" We all know this isn't true, but for the want of orderly and "QUIET" classroom, games tend to a wild card not worth using in the game of learning.

Post 2 Motivation

For me, I see motivation as a course of action taken on by an individual to achieve a goal. This could be the want for a person to complete a mile run under 8 minutes, finish reading a book, graduating college, ect. Personally both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators play a large role in my achievements. Extrinsically, the motivation for me going back to college and maintaining good grades are the future increase in salary, the enjoyment I will get from my new career, the example that I set for my own children, and the lives that I will affect by becoming a teacher. Intrinsically, I find great satisfaction in the knowledge I gain with every course I take; as well as pride I feel at giving every course my best effort and receiving a grade that reflects it. In most cases individual require both forms of motivation to achieve goals. Extrinsic may outweigh intrinsic at times, or vice versa, but they will both be a factor in an individuals successes.

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Post 1 Culture and Literacy

     With respect to culture and its' affects on literacy, we can see that the many cultures and subcultures that an individual identifies with, directly influences that individual's literacy. It is also important to note that no two individuals will function at the same level of fluency, because their cultures vary widely. As future educators, when we look at our prospective student population, we have to begin to determine how we would "bridge the gap", so to speak, between cultures to achieve the common goal of increasing fluency in multiple literacies. One possible method would be to initially determine the various cultures present in the classroom, i.e. male, female, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, school clubs/ programs, etc. With this information the teacher can better understand the culture of his/ her own classroom, which in my opinion is a vital  first step in establishing a relationship with the students. Given the knowledge of the importance of cultures in influencing education and the understanding of your own classroom culture, we are again brought back to the question of how to make a connection between the two.
    
     Whether through printed, written text or through oral means, communication seems to be the link that creates and continues to develop fluency within a culture. For example, a child that is having difficulty in reading, will ultimately have issues in other disciplines that involve reading. Taken further still, if a student is not introduced to the method of communication associated with a specific culture than they will not be nearly as successful as if they had been given the prior knowledge. For example, a child that is unfamiliar with the rules of the Bakugan game culture would not likely win many matches against well versed players. The same idea applies when you consider students in math, science and technology classes. These courses require a different level of communication than what they may have been already exposed to. So, it becomes apparent that clarifications in communication between cultures is needed to achieve success. As students learn to function and move between cultures it is important for them to understand the differences between the cultures and have a solid foundation of there norms and methods of communication for the varying cultures.

    We would love for there to be a simple answer on how to reach across the divide and join cultures to create a level of understanding for all students in our classrooms. However, with each passing year, as our students change, a new set of cultures come with them. It will be a balancing act that teachers will practice throughout their careers.