Monday, February 3, 2014

A Response-Based Approach to Reading Literature

Right away, I liked the section on "horizon of possibilities" I think it's very important for students and teachers to understand that dissecting and responding to different literary texts doesn't always yield one solid answer. I liked that it said "a literary orientation is one of exploring horizons - where uncertainty is a normal part of response and new-found understandings provoke still other possibilities." Students need to know that when they read Shakespeare or Homer, it's okay to not know immediately what is being said, but that conversation and questions open up understanding.

I understand the hesitance that this author encountered from teachers about being able to shift their instruction based on what students were saying, but it think it's an important aspect of being able to really teach students something instead of just talking at them. Listening to students and how they're responding to the text can better form your instruction because you are teaching to what they don't understand, or what they want to know more of. If we are too focused on "teaching to the test, we aren't REALLY HEARING what our students are saying. If we can respond accordingly to what students are asking and saying, we can better prepare them for what they need to know instead of just reading bullet points and flipping through a powerpoint. It's a better way to not only engage them in what they're learning, but it better engages you as a teacher.

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