Reading Response 1 - 400

The reading "Toward an Educationally Relevant Theory of Literacy Learning: Twenty Years of Inquiry" by Cambourne was about the different theories of learning and the best ways to successfully learn. It also went through the eight different conditions of learning, and what each of them mean. Applying the different conditions, such as responsibility or engagement is also important to know how to do, and this led to the "Principles of Engagement". For example, "Learners are more likely to engage deeply with demonstrations if they believe that learning whiter is being demonstrated has some potential value, purpose, and use for them." (pg. 55). I agree with this, because if the learner does not feel like they are being taught anything that will benefit them in their lives, then chances are that they will not care much to learn it. In the updated reading "Is an Educationally Relevant Theory of Literacy Learning Possible? 25 Years of INquiry Suggests It Is" also by Cambourne, it goes into what the characteristics of an educationally relevant theory, and origins of this theory. Teachers realized the importance of engagement in their classroom, and then reassessed the "Principles of Engagement." "Learners are more likely to engage with demonstrations provided by someone they like, respect, admire, trust, and would like to emulate." (pg. 61). This goes to show what an important job being a teacher is, and how crucial it is for us to work hard to make our classroom a place for our students to want to come to everyday ready to learn. The reading also touched on the "Oral-and-Written-Language-Are-Significantly-Different-From-Each-Other" Critique, which is saying that reading and writing can be as natural as learning to talk.

In Patrick Shannon’s “Reading Instruction and Social Class” article, the main topics that stuck out to me and that were bolded in this article were: social class and ability grouping, teacher expectations and social class, and social class and teachers’ unequal treatment of reading groups. I thought this article was very interesting in what it was saying. The main point was about students, their education, and their social class and how it all ties in together. The expectations teachers had for their students was not necessarily fair, because the teachers based it off of the students social class standing. The students are even treated differently when it comes to their reading groups. The students in the lower reading groups are interrupted more and are given harder books to read in which the article stated that they will at least misread one out of every ten words. Where as the students in the higher groups are given easier reading materials, because they are basically “above everyone else”. The lower reading group seemed to work harder and continue practicing at their reading and it still did nothing. It all goes back to their social class. Shannon states, “Wilkins (1976) argued that these expectations are actually unconscious manifestations of a general societal philosophy which states that citizens are personally responsible for their position in society – that lower class people posses intellectual and character flaws which account for their lack of previous success and inhibit their prospects for the future – and that middle – and upper-class people are successful because they are resourceful and industrious.” All in all, change needs to happen in reading discussion and reading groups; teachers need to start this change and design their own lesson plans without social class being involved.  

The animation that is connected to the articles shows a study of how teachers have an effect on their students.  Studies have shown that teachers who care and show they care are getting better results from their students in academic achievement.  http://coe.unomaha.edu/moec/briefs/EDAD9550larson.pdf