Organization is key

The overarching theme that I was able to get out of the chapter was that it is important to stay organized when reading and studying text information. I really think that the textbook does a great idea listing and explaining different strategies that can be used to ensure that students can get as much important and relevant information out of readings when they are studying or reviewing. I really liked the examples given on organized note taking. I think this is important especially in my content area, which is history, because many of the strategies that are listed in the book are incredibly common in a social studies classroom. One in particular is the T-note system. I could not tell you how many times I have had to use this strategy in class, and how many times I have used this strategy on my own when I am studying- even to this day. It is an excellent way to to compare and contrast two different ideas, and lead to a general conclusion about the two. For the purposes of comparing events or ideas in history, I feel that this is the best strategy that can be used. That's just my opinion. The double-entry reading log is another idea I really liked from the textbook, and I used to use a modified version in middle school. We kept two column notes-one for the book and one for class. I think the double entry reading log is great for keeping track of challenging terms or vocabulary like the examples show. I think using these types of organizational methods can greatly increase a students learning, and I hope to put some of them to practice in my own classroom.

I think the rubric and "grade scale" used to grade the different reading strategies listed blackboard article does a good job pointing out that not all of the widely used reading strategies in classrooms are useful. For example, I used the round robin method all the time until late middle school. I know for sure it was very prominent in my fourth and fifth grade classrooms, so it was very interesting and pleasing to see it ridiculed in the article by saying it was closer to malpractice than effective practice. The highest grade strategy that involved the students in "critical literacy". The teacher must be able to not only be aware of the students' learning environment, but also relate the text to a broader concept so it is easier for the students to understand. What I take from this article is that reading is not a "hands-off" classroom activity where either the teacher does all the work, or the students. Both the student and the teacher have parts to play in classroom reading.