Sunday, January 20, 2013

Multiliterate and Underachieving


Donna E. Alvermann brings up interesting points in her chapter Multiliterate Youth in the Rime of Scientific Reading Instruction about the definition of “reading” in a time when everything is being digitalized. Avlermann discussed the idea of Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives, which to me pushed the idea that teachers need to be able to keep up with the changing ways that students are learning. It is important for the older generations of teachers, Digital Immigrants, to be able to adapt and change teaching styles to fit the new generation of Digital Natives. The excerpt from Steven Johnson’s book Everything Bad Is Good for You was an enlightening thought process into the technological generation that is being breed to view books as a thing of the past and boring. Although as I am not sure I could ever personally enjoy video more than Wuthering Heights or even The Hunger Games, I recognize that the way in which we perceive literature and reading is changing.
            Yvett Jackson and Eric J. Cooper in their chapter Building Academic Success with Underachieving Adolescents brings up the concern of the underachieving students and teaching to their learning needs. Jackson and Cooper relate that every student can achieve; it is important for each student’s need to be recognized because each student learns differently. The formula NUA has created, understand what is expected of them (students), a connection between understanding and motivation, confidence, and affect motivation is different. It helps to ensure that students know what is expected of them while promoting the confidence and motivation to accomplish the necessary means. I think this would be a great tool to implement in the classroom. However, I found the Thinking Maps by David Hyerle to be a tool was not so sure of. Perhaps it is because my brain does not work in the way of shapes and graphs/patterns, although I still see the benefit of the process for students who do think in that way. 

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