Teaching Discussion: YA, Media, AND THE ELA CLASSROOM

10/8/2022

THE PROMPT: In the glorious age of technology, how can we use media and technology in our classrooms in ways that don’t suck? How can it support good reading and writing? How can it support a student’s “literary” understanding. Using the three “texts” included this week, design a classroom experience for our scenario class

THE CLASS: You are teaching a 9th grade College Prep English class at Bridgewater/Raynham high school. You are working with a class of 35 students: 34 students are white, 1 student is Cape Verdean, 19 are female, 16 are male, one male student is openly gay.

The BR pass rate on the 10th grade MCAS is 84%.

Roughly 85% of the students in your class come from a household where at least one parent has some college education. You have two students in your class whose parents are on the faculty at Bridgewater State University.

You have limited access to technology in the classroom, but your students have access to computers, phones and the internet at home.

You can familiarize yourself with the school here.

A BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT (AND WHY) I'M ASKING YOU TO DO THIS: The challenge this week gives you two ends of a triangle: you’ve got a class (I’m going back to our 9th grade BR college prep class—not so old that middle school is a distant memory, not so smart that they will be so over it, not so young that we have to pretend nobody has sex or does drugs); you’ve got your media—any and all of the recordings accessible via the syllabus. How might you use this media and what texts would you pair with them—that’s the last leg of the magic triangle?

You’ve got a real opportunity to be pretty creative here. You are welcome to talk about any of the texts we’ve covered so far or will cover in class. Or you can go with something else you’d want to teach. Or you can go with a canonical text that might well be included in the framework. Or you can do a little of all three. Additionally, if there is other supplemental media—movies, TV, radio, news items, non-fiction, art-work, dance, whatever—you are welcome to use that.

Why do this? Here is something to think about as you move from being a student to a teacher: you are all English majors. You love literature. Some of you love the pretty heavy stuff--Joyce, Shakespeare, Morrison. Most of you love to read--I mean really love it (I am that person; this is late because I'm trying to finish a novel because I love it so much--it is not Gossip Girl). You will have classrooms filled with students who don't like to read and who don't do it well or often. And, also, you will have students who will go on to college or trade school and they will take, at most, one literature class: one. So the question to ask yourself as a future teacher is what is your actual job as a language arts teacher?

The frameworks stresses learning literary terms and concepts and exposure to literature, capital "L." All that is good. It's important and vital for students to have rich experiences with literature. But don't forget that the most important thing we teach our students is how to read and how to write. Anything. Not write only five paragraph essays. Not read only Shakespeare. I think it can be rough to think about. You've spent your entire college career studying literature, and now I'm telling you that teaching literature is not really the job. The job is literacy instruction. How to make students be good readers of all texts. And so a class that encourages students to apply the critical interpretive skills they would use reading Poe or Faulkner or Joyce is and should be what students do with any text, including the various media they will encounter in life much longer than they'll be in school and with much greater consequence if they do it badly.

As my contribution to the discussion: I have actually paired “Is your Dad Single?” with the stories we read during the first week of class, Girl & 7th grade, with actual rising 8th and 9th graders. I asked students to map out the story of “Is Your Dad Single?”—so what starts the story, what is the rising action, what is the climactic moment, the denouement, the “truth about life.” I ask them to do this graphically. Since that piece is really about deciding on who you want to be in your own life, we look at Girl and 7th grade through that lens—how do the various characters in each figure out who they are? That’s a final writing. Along the way, I have them write about their own stories of figuring themselves out, of 7th grade, etc. I also ask them to identify the “rules” of being a boy—so write 7th Grade as a series of “you” statements, but about boys, based on the story. The work requires listening, reading, note-taking. It requires working alone and in groups. It requires that they be able to prove a point about a text using the text as evidence. It gives them space to reflect personally. I really enjoy the entire sequence. We end with a very fun exercise where they make their own maps of their lives—who they are now, where they want to end up, how they are going to get there. They present that to the whole class. I do it with them. They marvel at the idea that a 50 year old could still possibly have a life plan.

42 Comments

Meaghan Cook

10/9/2022 01:29:27 pm

Although I would love to use all three of the audio texts in one lesson plan, I fear that “Is Your Dad Single?” and “The Secret Letter” would not be relatable to every member of my class. However, “Maybe” is something we can all relate to - being embarrassed not once, but twice, in an extremely public way. I would ask each of my students to prepare a story similar to “Maybe” by Jessica Lee Williamson, of their most embarrassing moments. The stories could be submitted anonymously to be read in front of the class by me, or if they were feeling brave, they could read them aloud. I would share my own most embarrassing story - the time that I was “dumped” by my 6th grade best friend in front of everyone for crying during a scary movie. My hope would be to use “Maybe” as a guidepost, ensuring that each of their stories would have a buildup, a climax, and a resolution. For instance, my backstory would be the actual watching of the movie, followed by my friend’s public proclamation that I was a “baby,” and the eventual revenge I wrought when that same friend was laughed at for being afraid of a spider on the school bus.

I believe it is the job of a language arts instructor to make the texts accessible to everyone. Be that through the option of audiobooks and movies or spending more time on the in-depth analysis stuff that many students aren’t able to get, I think it is imperative we find some way to connect every student with the text. These three audio texts can be a great starting point, as some students may retain information better by hearing it rather than reading it on a page. I think this is just one of the ways in which media and technology can help enhance a student’s literary education. We can also foster an increased interest in literature by finding the human connections within them, such as the way so many readers connect to the March sisters in Little Women. By emphasizing the human connections, it may be easier for many readers to connect with the themes of the stories. Additionally, the sheer number of movies and TV shows that have been based on many popular Young Adult novels opens another road to accessibility for some readers who may not connect with words on paper.

Nicole Shepard

10/11/2022 07:35:32 am

Hi Meghan,

I feel similarly about the texts “Is Your Dad Single” and “The Secret Letter.” However, even though all the students might not be able to directly relate to these texts, I still think everyone would benefit and enjoy listening to them. I know that when I listened to them for this assignment that I liked them both! I think one of the strongest parts of your lesson is when you said you will share your most embarrassing story. By reading your own response, I believe you will encourage your students to be brave and share their most embarrassing story.

I really like the point you made about how some students might be able to remember more information from listening to a text rather than reading it. As someone who only read texts in high school, I wish I had the option to also listen to audiobooks. If students are given an option, it might make them (especially those who aren’t as invested in school) more engaged with the reading

Adam Fernandes

10/10/2022 02:24:53 am

Instructors must make every text accessible to everyone. It's important to find a way to connect each student to the text, whether through a selection of audiobooks and videos, or through more time for in-depth analytical material that many students don't get. These three audio texts are a good starting point, as some students remember information better by listening to it than by reading it on a page. Showing students television and movies based on many popular teen novels is another way to improve reading skills for some readers who may not be able to connect with words on paper, such as readers who struggle to concentrate.
Inspired by Maybe, I ask students to share at least two embarrassing moments from their high school life if they wish. Stories are posted anonymously to prevent bullying. Ask students to identify the beginning, climax, and resolution of the stories. Thanks to this, the students are freed from the embarrassment caused by shyness and learn the texts better.

10/11/2022 05:45:53 pm

Hi Adam!

I love the idea of giving students the option to choose the medium that works best for them. It wasn’t until I got older that it really set in for me that everyone learns differently, when my own learning style started to shift. I like your idea of the anonymous stories, especially in how it will open the students up to connect with the texts better. I think it’s so important as a reader to find a way into the story in order to really grasp the concepts and lessons within it.

Alexa Delling

10/10/2022 08:25:26 am

One of the largest aspects that I believe is important within any literary understanding of a text or media is the ability to relate to characters and or the plot. “7th Grade” by Gary Soto offers a situation my whole class, including me, have most likely been through. Within taking the humanity approach to literary texts, it offers a better and deeper understanding of a text itself. We have all been young adults, if we aren’t one now, and have experienced those feelings in the past or right at this very moment. Maybe 5 out of my 19 females have been captivated by a crush as a young girl or 10 out of my 16 males have been embarrassed once or twice by their friends or have embarrassed themselves. The truth is, they all have experienced this one way or another and when we read stories that normalize these awkward growing stages, it will make them say, “Wow, I remember that time in 7th grade when Becky denied me for a slow dance” or when the one openly gay student crushed so hard on the openly straight student on the soccer team.
In this crazy day and age, media is extremely cruel. Media shows young, impressionable people of society what’s wrong, what’s right, what’s fat, what’s ugly, what’s in style etc. It is absolutely exhausting to be a young adult involved in the media and constantly thinking they must conform to these media standards who God only knows has set up. I would stress to my class the importance of being themselves and trying so painfully hard to not conform under the pressures of the media. A story like “Is Your Dad Single” by Erin Barker offers comic and true insight on a young girl who is going through new experiences and learning how to handle them. I would emphasize my favorite part of her talk is when she mentions how she lit her report card on fire and then her stepbrother went and told everyone she was attempting to burn her house down and kill her whole family. She said she would rather take the title of a sociopath than an emo girl and she was proud to hold that title. Someone like Erin Barker did not care what her peers thought and frankly used her experience to make people laugh. Overall, the main take away from my lesson would primarily focus on the importance of sticking to who you are and maybe taking some advice from a text like “7th Grade” or a storyteller like Erin Barker, since this is what makes us all human.

Megan Keller

10/10/2022 02:05:49 pm

Hi Alexa,
I really enjoyed reading your response this week. I could feel and understand your passion for social media and how it can be extremely cruel, especially at the age this prompt is discussing. I enjoyed how you incorporated 7th Grade as well instead of one of the newer stories so that your students could relate a bit more. Great work!

10/10/2022 01:47:05 pm

In reality, I always try to use all the texts we have read in class to be performed in a classroom scenario for student choice. What I mean by this is that there should be different prompts given to students on assignments if possible. In one of my education courses I’m taking now, I am learning the significance of student choice and how some learners do better when they have an option to choose from to provide their best work. With this being said, I am incorporating all three texts into the BR classroom I have in this scenario. I feel I would use these three texts in a short writing assignment that I would give to my students after reading all three texts. As the prompt goes, it is clear that technology can make or break a classroom experience. All my students from this scenario have access to technology at home but not in the classroom. With this assignment I am giving them in regards to the writing prompt, I am going to have all my students read or listen to the three stories at home for a homework assignment. Once that aspect is taken care of, for extra credit I may ask them to send a video of them verbally speaking on the topics discussed in one of the three stories. This yet again will be a student's choice about which story they feel they want to discuss and can email it to me for extra credit. This way, the technology being used is seen in a positive manner outside of the classroom while still being given credit in the classroom. The writing assignments on the stories will be done in the classroom and it will be very simple, merely asking the students about key topics within the texts they read such as themes, characters, etc. I feel technology can be used to help a classroom and it will be used in my classroom in a safe and respectful way for other students, faculty as well as the content matter.

Patricia Diaz

10/10/2022 06:55:05 pm

Hi Megan,
Thank you for sharing your awesome thoughts with all of us! I really like how you have in your assignment low stakes and high-stakes assignments. You used the low-stakes one to accommodate students and help them put their thoughts together, which many students struggle with in their portion of writing. In addition, you provided a high-stakes assignment for the video recording one. I like how you didn’t have them perform in front of the class since not many students do not feel comfortable doing that. I think your assignment really thinks in depth about every student you have and provide multiple opportunities for them to succeed, which is always the most important part. You could have a conference with them or even walk around the room to provide feedback before they turn it in so that they feel even more comfortable with the high-stakes assignment. Amazing job!

Megan Moore

10/10/2022 04:51:35 pm

I believe that technology has a place in every classroom. That being said, technology should be used in the classroom to supplement learning, not replace it. I think that the idea of using audio "texts" in a 9th grade classroom is an excellent way to bring technology into a lesson in a way that will further students' understanding.
Personally, I would use the recording of "Is Your Dad Single?" when teaching "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger. This book can sometimes be hard for students to get a feel for, as it is told in a more casual manner than other books studied in English classes. In the novel, Holden is telling someone the story of a few important days in his life. I would play "Is Your Dad Single?" in order to help students contextualize this way of storytelling in their own lives. I would like to have students write a short narrative of a specific moment or story from their own lives in the style of the recording. As there is limited access to technology in the classroom, I would have students record their narratives at home and submit the audio files to me. We would have our own story hour and play these recordings in class.
After this, students would write a reflection on how writing and listening to narratives helped them re-contextualize "The Catcher and the Rye." Did it make them relate to Holden more? Less? Do they have a better understanding of Holden's voice? I think presenting the novel in this way would help students get more from the story than a more traditional teaching of the text. It would help engage students and relate the novel back to their own lives.

Maddy Ames

10/11/2022 01:42:03 pm

Megan-
My most favorite posts in our class threads are the ones that surprise me because I would never have put two and two together to get the result my classmate did. Your post this week was one of those for me. I love how you used "Catcher in the Rye" and "Is Your Dad Single?" as the pairing in your lesson plan. Catcher is more of a classic and then you have the podcast which is much newer- the way you used them to bridge the gap is so cool to me. Furthermore, pairing a physical text with an audio and technology as well is a great way to engage auditory, visual and kinesthetic learners all at once. Not every lesson plan can accomplish that, and I think you did a great job doing so. It's been so long since I read Catcher and now I want to go back and refresh my memory, haha. Thanks for sharing!

Catie Mullen

10/10/2022 06:13:31 pm

Technology is a great resource to students and is becoming crucial to student's learning more and more every day. The students in this College Prep English course at Bridgewater/Raynham high school have access to technology at home, however it is limited at school. The lesson I created using the three podcasts from this week and Gossip Girl is on character development. Character development and character traits are important aspects of English Language Arts. All three podcasts are focused on these speaker's decisions, how they developed from these decisions, and how their environment was affected. Some themes this class will look at is: Are there any specific moments that specifically affect this character's life? How does their home life affect who they are as a person? How about their friends, relationships, or school? What caused this character to change? In class, we will go over character development and character traits. In class, I will play all three podcasts out loud ("Is Your Dad Single?" "Maybe" and "The Secret Letter") and I will ask the students to think about how these stories are about pivotal moments in someone's life or to pin point a specific spot in "Is Your Dad Single" that changes the speaker to be a "bad child" or the "asshole child." Throughout the next week or two, since this book is short, students will be reading Gossip Girl and coming into class to talk to their book club groups on how characters like Serena, Nate, Blair, Dan, and Jenny develop in the first book. They will talking about things like: How did Blair finding out that Nate had sex with Serena affect Blair's friendship with Serena? For a final paper, students will at home create a personal narrative of a pivotal moment in their life that develop/ changed / supported them into being the person they are today. This personal narrative could be done through any platform: writing, podcast, short film, exc. This lesson has provided students with whole-class discussions/questions, group work in the book clubs, and individual work through reading Gossip Girl and creating their own personal narrative that "defines" or helped "develop" them into who they are today. This assignment also supports students in reflection.

Sam Isom

10/11/2022 12:00:45 pm

Hi Catie- amazing job, I love how you even connected the novels we've read. Incorporating the things we've learned here for your own lesson plan is a great use of this class's materials. I would be really interested in getting a reflection like that assigned to me, it's a good opportunity to help raise interior and exterior awareness. Awesome work :)

10/10/2022 06:45:27 pm

I think in this age, we can use media to support our classroom instead of having it centered around it. For instance, we can use technology to supplement a novel we are reading in class or to show a picture of a scene someone described in their writing. Interestingly enough, I think that we can use these three texts in the classroom to create a rich experience for students. Although not many students will identify with the texts “The Secret Letter” and “Is your Dad Single?” because they might not experience the same background, they can still find commonalities between them and their lives, such as the idea of having a secret you don’t want anyone to know about or even family dynamics whether that is with friends, supporters, or their family members. Part of the Humanities category is being able to expand people’s eyes and transport them into a new world whether that is different from them so that they can learn more about them.
Something that I would do with these three texts is having a mini spoken word poetry assignment where students can brainstorm and practice in class. These texts are rich in tone, storytelling, and word play. I could have students listen to all of these podcasts and then, free-write about how they think the author performed this on stage—their gestures and movements—based on their tone to increase their comprehension levels and literacy skills. Then, I would ask students to pick a topic based on these three stories—an embarrassing moment, family dynamic or struggle to find your place in a setting, and a secret they have that they do not have to mention what it is exactly. I can have them journal about this experience and then volunteer to stand by their desk or in front and tell their class their story. They can read it, but they have to perform it with gestures, tone, jokes, and whatever else they would like. This way is a light activity that will engage their writing, listening, speaking, and reading skills, but is very low stakes as long as they free write and read it to the class or in small groups.

10/11/2022 06:30:40 am

Hi Patricia, I think this lesson would be am excellent way to use these texts in the classroom. I agree that technology should be used to support classroom material rather than be the focus of a lesson. Some teachers try to base all of their lessons around using technology, which I believe loses the heart of the material. I like your idea of using these texts to introduce spoken word poetry to your students. This would help students understand the physicality of poetry and how tone can completely change the meaning of a text. It would also help students get an insight into the process of writing a relatable piece of literature.

10/11/2022 09:58:54 am

Hi Patricia! I think that it is really important how you added the public speaking aspect to this lesson. Teachers in high school don't always provide you with the skills for public speaking. Allowing students in an informal setting to practice speaking in front of a group of people is super beneficial. You can also add into this assignment, a lesson at the beginning about public speaking - as you mentioned, tone, gestures, and movements. As we are thinking about the writing prompt this week in the discussion board, what are some books or poems that you could match with this lesson? It seems that in a few weeks we will be reading poems. You could potentially have your students practice reading a pre-written poem aloud in front of a small group to get some feedback before they write their own.

Jenivieve

10/11/2022 10:15:48 am

Hi there Patricia,

I particularly enjoyed your post because I found your ideas on integrating technology into the classroom very compelling! Having students engage in listening to poetry and discussing how someone could perform it will definitely increase literacy. This is also a great way to engage auditory learners through technology. I also noted in my response that using story-times from Moth is a great strategy in the classroom because students can really relate to the emotions/experiences of the speakers. Really great post!

10/11/2022 10:17:11 am

I meant to ask you in my response above: Is there any particular poem you would choose to do this exercise with? Are there any poems you know that would relate to the story-times we listened to?

10/11/2022 07:27:54 am

In today’s world where technology and media take up so much of our life, it is easy to fall into this trap where we get sucked into the technological vortex. However, if used appropriately, technology can come as an added benefit in the classroom, especially with high school aged students. In my opinion, technology shouldn’t replace the traditional method of reading books and writing papers, but can be used to support this teaching style through resources like audiobooks, YouTube, movies, and more.
Even though access to technology is limited in my 9th grade College Prep English class, I would still be able to use these three texts in my classroom since my students have access to technology at home. For this lesson, I would include all three texts, “Is Your Dad Single?”, “Maybe”, and “The Secret Letter” in my lesson even though all my students might not directly relate to all of them. In class, I will play these three texts for my students and just have them listen the first time. Rather than having them take notes or try to answer questions while listening, I want them to be able to hear these stories for what they truly are and be able to enjoy them instead of scrambling to do work at the same time. After we listen to the texts, I will open up a discussion and invite my students to share their thoughts on the texts, anything from how they felt while listening to how they can relate, if at all, to any of the texts.
For an assignment, I would ask my students to listen to all three stories again at home and pick one that they relate to the most. I anticipate that most of my students will be able to relate to “Maybe” over “Is Your Dad Single?” and “The Secret Letter” but I will encourage the class to use whatever story they desire. After they listen to these texts again, I want them to pick one and write a mirror response. So for example, if a student picked the text “Maybe”, I would expect them to write about a time when they felt embarrassed. If a student wanted to write about a time when they felt like they were holding on to a big secret, then they would write a response that mirrors the text “The Secret Letter.” My goal of this assignment isn’t to have my students feel like they are exposing themselves to me by writing about a personal experience. I want my students to understand that English and Literature isn’t always about writing a paper with an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. English focuses on one’s ability to write and think critically about any sort of text that is read.

Mary Viera

10/25/2022 06:51:03 pm

Hi Nicole! I wish I had thought of this. It's simple, and doesn’t overwhelm your students with too much information or instruction but also guides them in developing those critical skills important to analyzing texts and media. I really like how your project is welcoming of students who love writing but also accessible for students who may not love writing because you make the project concise and personal. I also like how you are focused on the stories of texts and media and not the terminology or structure behind them. I think this would alleviate alot of pressure that students feel to try to come up with an answer that will please the teacher. That’s why I think it’s so important to have class discussions where you just talk about what the piece made them feel or what their thoughts are.

10/11/2022 08:43:28 am

Of all the audios we listened to, “Maybe” by Jessica Lee Williamson resonated with me the most for this exercise. Regardless of upbringing, status, privilege, or geographic location, everyone has been embarrassed. It’s a universal experience. It’s a great equalizer. In “Maybe”, Williamson recounted two very sad experiences in a funny, articulate manner. I would have the class listen to the audio and then open up a discussion, asking them questions like: “What would you have done if you were in Jessica’s shoes?”, and “When you are wronged, how do you respond?” My hope would be to have my students think about both empathy and choosing to overcome difficult situations.

I would tie “Maybe” into Gossip Girl and ask my students to go into the text and try to find moments where one or more of the characters experience either bullying or embarrassment. Then we would discuss how the characters in GG responded to embarrassment or bullying. We would talk about some of the embarrassments/frustrations they experience in high school in the book, and then see if they are similar to those my students encounter in their day to day.

Then, I would pull up Padlet and have my students access my anonymous board. I would have my students take a few minutes to brainstorm some embarrassing moments or interactions they’ve had and to post them on the Padlet board if they feel comfortable- once again reminding them that it is completely anonymous. I would share a little bit about my experiences feeling embarrassed while the kids brainstormed so they would hopefully feel bolder (my pants split in front of my crush when I was 12 and it took me years to psychologically recover but now the story is immaculate). After my students had time to think and post, we would go around and read a few, talking about how to respond with empathy (and sometimes a healthy amount of humor).

Celeste Barbosa

10/11/2022 05:01:34 pm

Hi Maddy!
I really liked reading your response! You idea of using a Padlet is honestly so effective. I used those a lot in my EDHM 335 class but I completely forgot about it! I think being able to have students share their experiences is really great, but allowing them to be completely anonymous is even better. I also really enjoyed how you tied "Maybe" to Gossip Girl. Both pieces are easily identifiable surrounding embarrassment, and I feel like Gossip Girl is such an efficient text because it resonates with a lot of middle schoolers or high schoolers. Great response!

Katie Rodrigues

10/11/2022 09:44:54 am

Technology is a very important part in our society and is used widely across all ages. It is something that is used in everyday life that many are familiar with. Technology can be used beneficially in the classroom to help teach lessons, not completely replace them. There should be this balance in the classroom when using technology; it should not take the place of the other lessons, but rather be used as a tool to help guide the lessons along. I know in my classes, I would like to show the movie Freedom Writers. That is a movie that I have seen in quite a few English classes and it never gets old. It is an inspiring story about a classroom of at-risk teens deemed incapable of learning, but they have a teacher that works hard to find texts that they relate to because she knows that they are intelligent and capable. She also has the students keep journals about what they are reading, or just about their life in general, just to get them writing. I really like the journal idea and I always have. I want my students to keep a writing journal for the class. In this, I would give them prompts that they would answer at the beginning of each class. I could incorporate technology into this by letting the students listen to things such as the podcasts we listened to this week. For an easy prompt at the beginning of class, I would have the students listen to the episode "Maybe." Once they listened to this, they would be able to write down an embarrassing experience that they have had of their own. This is an easy way to incorporate technology and get the students to participate in a low stakes writing assignment. By writing down their experiences, they get to practice and develop their writing skills without the pressure of writing a five paragraph essay. Through this they learn that any type of writing is beneficial to them and can even be interesting.

Sydney Blair

10/11/2022 03:10:20 pm

I seriously loved this idea. Freedom Writers was one of the things that really made me want to switch from elementary education to secondary education. It is such an inspiring film and I think that it could really inspire your students as well, especially in this context. I also think that low stakes writing prompts are a great idea as it really gets your students thinking without putting a lot of weight or pressure on the assignment. I think that these podcasts and movie could connect really well together as I feel that some of them even cover similar themes such as identity, coming of age, etc.
I think that your incorporation of technology is just the right enough where it wouldn't take over the lesson as well. Great job!!

10/11/2022 10:11:33 am

Thinking of ways to use technology in ways that “don’t suck” is a very necessary, integral skill of the modern-day teacher. In many ways, the exercise we are doing right now–listening to audio stories/podcasts and reflecting through writing is a great way to integrate technology into the English classroom. If I were to try and articulate a lesson that combines technology and other skills such as writing it would be much like this exercise. However, for the sake of this assignment, I will differentiate and go into more detail. This specific classroom described in the prompt would probably need supplemental texts to help understand how these themes work in literature itself. I think that most students, regardless of race or sexuality can in some way relate to the concept of keeping a secret from parents/guardians/friends, of feeling the pressure of labels/expectations, or allowing fear to prevent them from doing something they love. I think that a benefit of using technology, like these clips from The Moth is often it makes clearer the main points for more students a text does. To textualize these themes from the story hours in class, I would first start by pairing Erin’s storytime “Is Your Dad Single?” with “7th Grade” by Gary Soto. I would pick this short story over Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” because Soto’s style is more reachable for this group of 9th-grade BR students. Although it is a female-dominant classroom, the girls are very fairly represented in the storytime audio clips so the boys deserve some representation too. Gary Soto’s “7th Grade” would work well with “Is Your Dad Single?” because students can engage in exercises that compare labels within families to labels found in “7th Grade”. I would ask students to engage with “Maybe” to discuss and compose a written narrative or oral presentation about a time they have learned from failure. I would compare the themes of truth and honesty as it relates to relationships in “The Secret Letter” and Gossip Girl #1. Although not concerning the same exact subjects, in both works there is a secret being kept that if told sooner, everyone involved could get to moving on sooner.

Chloe Tavernier

10/11/2022 10:34:43 am

Hi Jenivieve,

Yeah, I totally agree with you, it's definitely essential as an instructor to find new and inventive ways to utilize technology as it is an indispensable factor when it comes to keeping students engaged and maintaining their attention and interest in the material. Also, your hypothetical lesson is similar to the one I had devised in my response. Just like you mentioned no matter someone's race or sexuality, everyone has a secret or two. I think expressing this through writing helps in portraying how students can connect with certain themes and characters within literature.

10/11/2022 10:12:45 am

In this glorious age of profound technological and media advancements, it allows for greater and more various modes of learning, which is facilitated by the increased access to technological devices and applications. These devices and applications are an immeasurably beneficial and positive resource across countless classrooms. I strongly believe that electronic applications and programs greatly enhance the learning capabilities of students and are essential to all classrooms. Primarily due to how it can improve a student's connection with certain materials such as literary texts, especially in a more analytical edifying context. Not every student develops and absorbs information the same. Some students might have difficulty maintaining interest or concentrating on certain activities, some might be visual learners preferring to watch educational lessons through a video or movie, or some might even be tactile learners preferring to engage with tangible activities. In addition, technology, specifically, the expansive, bottomless cesspool of content that is the internet, contains a plethora of useful, and sometimes dubious information that's undoubtedly beneficial for enhancing one's knowledge of many things. The internet also allows us to connect and collaborate with others all over the world towards a shared goal, watch humorous videos online to help us unwind and destress, chat with friends and family, or even obsessively bond over a shared interest in a piece of fictional entertainment. Despite my abject commendation off the positives of technology and similarly the internet, the online world is not that one-sided. It also has its vile, dubious, and deplorable side. Oftentimes willfully leading young pliable and gullible minds astray. This brings me to return to the original topic at hand, while technology certainly has its indisputable benefits, I wouldn't heavily incorporate within my instructions, so much that it would substitute the original and reliable method of teaching. After all, nothing surpasses the significance and value of the old-fashioned traditional method of reading and writing with pencils and paper. I don't think technology should forego the value of the traditional mode of both writing and reading, but instead be used as a means to supplement traditional learning, utilizing technical applications and devices such as audio-books and educational videos, platforms such as Khan academy and Youtube, or even fun cooperative activities like Kahoot.
For the lesson, I would instruct the students to listen to all three of the audio texts or recordings at home as a rather light homework assignment. I would also provide each student a printed transcript of the audio, as it might be beneficial for some students to read along with the speaker. I would then ask them to write about a similar experience that they went through in a similar style of storytelling akin to the speakers of each recording. I would then encourage their experience to be about a monumental moment of their life, may it be embarrassing or awkward. My goal is to hopefully normalize the acknowledgement and acceptance of these feelings. It's ok to be embarrassed, nervous, awkward, or anxious about things. Through this assignment, I wish to stress the importance of simply being human, being true to yourself. I would also offer extra credit to those willing to provide an audio recording of their written work aloud. Or if they would like, they may also choose instead to read it aloud in class. This way they are connected with the material while also utilizing technology in a safe and responsible manner. Everyone learns and connects with material and information differently and as a hypothetical instructor, it is my duty to ensure that everyone's accommodations are dutifully met to the best of my abilities.

Olivia Mattson

10/11/2022 10:28:25 am

Sometimes, a pen and paper isn't the ideal learning style for some, and sometimes a computer helps more. Technology, in my opinion, makes learning easier. Sometimes, sitting in a room with bright lights above your head and uncomfortable chairs you sit in to make it, learning becomes a chore. There are many games that teachers can use for the students to understand the material better, and videos about the topic you're learning about can help students understand more. Technology is rapidly changing, and soon enough, there won't be a lot of paper in a classroom. Using technology to teach students would be very beneficial.

Not every student is the same; some have different learning levels. Technology can help figure out what reading and writing level a kid is at, and then the teacher can better work with the student in their learning career. I think the 3 audios will be good for a class; they can somehow relate to each in their own way. If you have 30 or so students in a classroom, you technically can have all of them relate to the audio somehow, but it might not be a strong connection. If using all 3, more students will find a stronger connection.

Allie Gallahue

10/11/2022 06:58:08 pm

Hi Olivia!
I like the idea that you mentioned regarding the biggest benefit with using all three of the audios. The more stories you expose the students to, the more likely they are to find themselves in one of them, which is very valuable. I think that it is difficult to teach such a large group of students because you can not reach all of them at once. However, using shorter stories like these three will allow for one lesson with multiple themes for everyone to relate to. I especially like how "Is Your Dad Single?" offers a theme that mostly everyone can relate to, which I mentioned in my response. Everyone that I know went through a period of time where they felt insecure in comparison to those around them. It is really easy to lose yourself when you aren't even sure of your own potential. I think a cool assignment for students when teaching all three of these texts together would be for them to find a way to relate to each of them, as you mentioned when you said they could "somehow relate to each of them in their own way."

10/11/2022 03:03:48 pm

So often our lessons, assignments, and teachings are based around the idea of technology. It is important to remember that technology should not be the sole instructor and that we use it as a tool rather than a crutch. There are so many different opportunities to present technology throughout a lesson, and also gives you the option to choose how apparent technology is throughout the lesson. With the given scenario I would want to make sure that technology is utilized, but not taken advantage of. I know personally I have grown so accustomed to doing assignments online that I actually get a little excited when we work straight from the book or write on hard copies. I think with this lesson I would like to give my students a similar feeling. While I know students may not be able to relate to each podcast, I feel as though that each student could relate to some aspect of one of the stories. I would present this lesson while we are reading “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros. This story tells a story of 12-year-old Esperanza Cordero and her journey growing up in Chicago. This story is broken down into many vignettes each focusing on a different aspect of coming of age or finding her identity. I feel as though many of these podcasts also related back to the idea of identity, or learning something about yourself. The assignment I would give would be a writing prompt that would ask students to pick out one part from one of the three podcasts that relate best to Esparanza and something that happened to her in the story. This would help them preform both a close reading task as well as a creative writing piece as they have free reign on what they want to focus on in each of these sources. Technology will be incorporated when the students listen to the podcast and complete their final copy. But, I will also offer paper organizers and templates to record their ideas, as well as provide the hard copy of the novel. Giving students options can make them more inclined to respond and participate. I believe that by giving students a choice they will be more passionate with their writings as it is something that they wanted to write about. This lesson hopes to connect a more modern podcast to an older novel, and hopefully students will see that they can find connections to both.

10/11/2022 04:55:09 pm

With the evolution of technology comes the evolution of our classrooms and teaching styles. I think there has already been a drastic change in including technology in the classrooms. From previous observations, everything is digitalized, students are taking tests on their chromebooks, and sometimes even reading pieces of literature from them chromebooks. When looking at the inclusion on technology, I feel as though it is important to have it balanced in order to support good reading and writing. Giving students the option of doing things written by hand or typing is a great place to start. Making hard copies an option for students is another great option. Also, including pieces of technology to further their understanding is a great tool. Incorporating different pieces of technology like “Hypothesis.s” which is an online annotation site that allows collaboration in annotations. This allows students to annotate on a PDF document, and also collaborate with other students to expand their thinking. Giving students the online tools, they can use can allow them to expand their knowledge

Looking at the three pieces of texts that we have engaged with this week, I think it is clear that not all students are going to relate to all of them, but I think the one that is most neutral would be “Maybe” since it is centered around being embarrassed multiple times. This type of story will allow students to connect with it on a more emotional level, because no matter who you are, we have been embarrassed about something. I would use this piece in a unit surrounded by the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. There is a specific moment in the novel when she is embarrassed by her love interest in front of a group of people. I would assign this podcast/storytelling to after reading that section of the novel to allow students to understand Jane, because the language used in the novel can be somewhat complex and cause a disconnect. After both pieces were completed, I would ask students to write a short response as to why Jane felt the way she did, and if they have also ever felt this type of embarrassment. Or they could create their own storytelling podcast and explain why Jane felt the way she did and if they ever felt embarrassment of their own.

10/11/2022 07:08:29 pm

Hi Celeste!
I didn't think to pair these audio texts with another outside text, I was only thinking about how I would teach them on their own. I really enjoyed your take on comparing "Maybe" to Jane Eyre, as you made a good point about how this would help students understand the language in this scene better. I think that this can also be done with "Is Your Dad Single?" and "Gossip Girl #1." It is hard for some to understand why Blair was so upset about her best friend, Serena, coming back to their school. However, in "Is Your Dad Single?" we get the image of a girl who is completely satisfied with her role and who she is, and then we see that all taken away. The audience is then told how this led to a loss of identity and constant comparison of herself to others. In "Gossip Girl #1," it now becomes more apparent that this is exactly how Blair felt with Serena back. She felt as though she could never shine with someone like Serena around, the same way in which Erin felt with Bethany and Robbie around. Having another similar situation presented to students in a different format could help enhance their comprehension of Blair's character, as well as her motives.

Allison Raposo

10/11/2022 07:40:17 pm

I think your point regarding the modernization in technology reflects the modernization of teaching is very accurate. Without technology teaching would be more difficult, in several different ways. Such as communication and classroom interactions.

Lucienne Quirk

10/11/2022 05:29:10 pm

I believe that the role of the English teacher is to help students harness the power of language to deeply understand and give voice to their experience in the world. That being said, the best way to learn this is to see when it’s done well– to see the self expression of others, be moved by it, and realize that very power is inside you. That’s where these three “texts” can be very instrumental. Three unassuming kids– who might as well be in our classroom, sitting in one of the chairs– open their mouths and turn ordinary experiences of jealousy, shame, and embarrassment into colorful and engaging stories that inspire our own voices.
While students may initially be entertained, wowed even, by the performances of these three students their age, they may need guidance from the teacher to explore and unpack the methods behind each speech. Were I to teach these texts in the classroom, I would play them all twice: once for initial impressions, and second for a deeper, fuller listening experience. During the second listening, I want students to write down words and phrases that stuck out to them– that were funny, effective, moving. Through that intentional reflection, we can better reveal the tools we can apply to our own writing.
The next step I would like to take with these texts is to inspire students to apply a similar approach in their own writing. Students will be asked to write a short memoir about an experience that used to be harrowing, but is retrospectively funny– and sort of meaningful. After having taken notes about what “works” in the example texts, students will take a shot writing something that feels personal and immediate. They will first “Write to learn” by brainstorming some embarrassing or funny situations they found themselves in. After picking one experience and honing in on it, students will peer revise, looking to see whether they’re getting the appropriate response from their audience. Is it funny? Is it moving? What are some ways we can enhance those effects? And then back to revision. This exercise will be short in length but thorough in its execution; students will be encouraged to focus on the importance of each and every sentence. How would you say it if you were delivering it out loud? Students will earn extra credit by reciting their memoir– but it is not required. The ability to be aware of purpose and audience is what’s being assessed. Through that, we can see how students become more capable of expressing themselves– of saying something that matters, and having it land.

10/11/2022 06:49:35 pm

I believe that the use of technology is important in an English class because the internet offers a wide variety of texts from all over the world. It is also important to note that the stories you will find on the internet will come from a diverse group of people with unique backgrounds and experiences. This type of exposure will help to expand everyone’s views on perspectives and important topics. I believe that all of these stories are important to teach to the students in this class, even if not everybody can relate to every one of the messages. For example, “Is Your Dad Single?” offers a story about losing touch with your own identity as you begin comparing yourself to those around you. For this lesson, I would ask students to write a few words down that they believe describes who they are as a person. I would then have them write a short paragraph about the importance of being yourself and staying true to who you are, regardless of what those around you are doing. For “Maybe,” I think that it would be really beneficial to have the students complete another writing assignment about something they are passionate about. I believe that this story teaches everyone to push forward with the things you love, despite the challenges that you may face. This writing assignment will serve as a reminder to every student about what they want to continue working on, and how they will overcome their fears in order to achieve their individual goals. Finally, I think that “The Secret Letter” is important for all students to hear about. For those struggling with coming out to their friends and family, this story will allow them to feel seen and offer a perspective from someone who was worried but felt relieved in the end. However, for other students who can not relate, this story allows them to reflect on the internal conflict that some of their peers face every day. I think that hearing about how coming out affects their peers will allow them to be more understanding about their struggle with their own identity, and therefore will lead them to be more accepting of others during such a confusing and scary time.

10/11/2022 07:24:23 pm

I believe that technology has a critical role in the classroom, and I feel that as a future educator I will be using it to help benefit the students in my classroom. By having access to technology it allows students to listen to audio recordings like the ones we were for this class. In observations teachers had previously used pre-recordings of texts and had the students take notes and follow along while reading their text. I want to use this technique in the classroom, however I will pause the recording several times and ask them questions about the reading. This is so the students will remember the reading and be able to use comprehensive analyzation. I will have them listen to the recording of "Maybe" because of it's lightheartedness and the students will be able to relate to the content of this text. I will have the students write a piece of flash fiction about a time in their childhood where they felt embarrassed. I will have them only write a page of a specific moment in their lives, and ask them to write a separate reflection piece relating to the text "Maybe". Their rough draft will be revised by their peers before turning in a final copy and will make comments on their papers that will count as participation. They will be instructed to make compelling comments that will better the writing of their peers, along with their own.

Linnea Fawkes

10/12/2022 05:58:59 pm

Hi Allison,
I liked your ideas and opinions on this post. I agree that technology plays such a major and critical role in the everyday classroom today. I also really liked reading about your lesson and you chose the audio "Maybe" for the class to listen to.

Samantha Tyrrell

10/13/2022 12:38:23 pm

Hi Allison,

I think your lesson plan would be engaging and thought-provoking for the students. I think having the students free write on an embarrassing time connects to the story really well. Asking questions during the recording would help keep students engaged and on track to fully understanding the story.

Jessica Sweeney

10/11/2022 08:31:36 pm

In our current classroom there is great pressure on teachers to integrate technology into as many areas of teaching and learning as possible. Covid exacerbated this when every single school resource had to be online and remote somehow. Of course, people found what simply did not work for a lot of students but also gained some strategies of what can be useful. I think technology applications such as Lexia and Acheive3000, that measure literacy and lexile skills while organizing data for teachers, are useful but at times overused. I think it would be useful to veer away from relying on technology to teach students reading and writing, and instead shift to using multimedia technology integration within the classroom. By this I mean incorporating various audio and visual supports for students. For instance, allowing students to listen to the audio and follow along, rather than just reading it helps with issues such as dyslexia, ADHD, phonetic awareness issues, etc. By taking away the pressure of reading, students can focus more on the content of what's actually in the literature. However, incorporating other types of media beyond just literature is important. Students should be able to listen to spoken word, rap, poetry, and personal narratives out loud. When talking about narratives, I would play audio stories such as the 3 we listen to this week in order to have students think about their own identities. When students hear those narrative style stories, and realize the sound like conversations with an audience, it makes the writing process seem a lot more approachable.
In that class with the specific students you mentioned, I would use “Is Your Dad Single”. I would have the students listen to the story and then involve them in a series of quick-writes. The prompts/questions I would ask would be along the lines of “Erin felt relieved when her mom left her dad. When have you felt relieved about a difficult situation? Erin chose to let people think she was a ‘psychopath’ instead of letting people think she was “emo”. When have you shied away from being vulnerable? Erin feels like she does not have a role in her family? What do you feel is your role in your own life?”. Questions like these encourage students to think about themselves. They would have 2 minutes to write about each prompt. Then, students would choose one that resonated with them to write about further. This could turn into a narrative project similar to the style of Erin’s.

10/12/2022 05:42:20 pm

Hi Jessica,

I really enjoyed reading your post and ideas for your lesson. I think it's really important that you mentioned how technology was so crucial during Covid and how much we really relied upon it. I agree that the use of audio readings and podcasts offer a different approach to regular reading and that it can really be helpful for students. Your idea for "quick writes" is really unique and I think that its a great way for students to be connected to the audio and themselves.

10/12/2022 05:36:38 pm

Technology is now a major and integral part of our everyday tasks in the classroom as teachers and students. It is highly important that educators use technology in an effective, well organized/explained way, so that students and parents have access and can easily see assignments and important announcements. It’s essential that teachers take advantage of technology and that it is used within the classroom on a regular, day-day basis as well. There are countless programs, websites, and online resources that teachers and students can use.

For my lesson in my English class, I would have my students listen to the recording of “Is Your Dad Single?” when we are reading “The Adventures of HuckleBerry Finn”. Both of these pieces involve the main character telling a story, which would go perfectly with my plans for this lesson. Students would listen to this recording after reading the novel, and write a short half page response on how storytelling places a part in our society today. After writing their responses I would have students share them on Google docs and their homework would be to respond to at least 2 of their classmates' posts and offer ideas/interests that they had while reading their responses. The next class meeting, I would ask students to share their ideas and use this time as an opportunity to lead into the future project. For this project, I will ask students to create a Google presentation/slideshow on how either the narrator in “Is Your Dad Single?” or in the novel “The Adventures of HuckleBerry Finn”. I would expect the students to make a creative and explanatory presentation that demonstrates how these narrators told their story and how that impacted the student giving the presentation. This project could be with another student or by themselves. The students would present in front of the class for around 10-15 minutes and would need to make the presentation interactive with the classroom. After the presentations are all completed, I will be asking students to write a one page reflection on their own personal presentation and a half page review of another student’s presentation.

10/13/2022 12:35:06 pm

I would begin class by talking about how both embarrassing and disappointing moments are a part of everyone's life. I would ask the class to post on Padlet anonymously about a time they were embarrassed or disappointed. We would then go over the responses as a class. I would then ask the class to think of common themes as I play all three audio recordings. After the recordings, I would split the class into small groups to discuss common themes. I would ask each group what they found. After the discussion, I would read Girl by Jamaica Kincaid aloud, and ask the class what the story has in common with the audio recordings. I would look for themes of how our expectations of ourselves and others don't always match reality.

10/25/2022 06:21:36 pm

The media and text that I would pair are “Is Your Dad Single?” and Little Women. We would start working with the text separately and I would ask them to focus on characterization, and the elements that form each character. Students would be placed in small groups and create character charts with characteristics and pieces of evidence for each element. After a few weeks of close reading the novel I would have them listen to “Is Your Dad Single?” asking them to use those same critical reading skills we practiced in Little Women where they look at the speaker’s creation of herself. They would create a similar character chart for the speaker on their own this time in class on the second listen. Each piece talks about the process of growing up and discovering an identity for yourself. For “Is Your Dad Single?” I think she argues that an identity is made up of many parts, however, I would like the students to look at Little Women and the character charts to see if Alcott would agree or disagree with the podcast’s point. They could compare and contrast the two charts they made from the text and the media. My hope is that they are able to make connections between media and text and think about how they either support or refute each other’s ideas. I understand that not all my students will enjoy reading or the texts we use but my job is to be a guide for them to develop critical skills that they can apply in other areas. By learning how to analyze and interact with texts they are learning how to work with ideas and present their own. This is applicable to nearly every field, and my hope is to help students develop strong metacognition that they can go out and continue learning in whatever their interest is.

Teaching Discussion: YA, Media, AND THE ELA CLASSROOM

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