[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: Aliteracy - something that doesn't apply to any of us...

[Ebony Elizabeth Thomas]

Hi, Caius and list--

>In just a little less than a year, parents will be able to do the
>same thing with Harry Potter - that is pop a crummy movie into the
>VCR rather than read the story aloud.
>
<snips a lot of other good stuff>

What a great post, Caius!  Yet never fear, all is not lost...

This summer I went to an excellent Middle School Language Arts conference.  
Our facilitators were *urging* us to make time during our classes to read 
aloud to our adolescent students once a week.  This was because recent 
research in education is showing that literacy in general and literate 
practices are enhanced when developing/emerging readers are read aloud to.

Immediately several hands went up, while others murmured their disbelief.  
Novice teacher that I am, even I scratched my head, imagining reading a 
picture book to a class of thirteen and fourteen year olds.

"Just try it" was all the response we got.

I've been trying it all year.  Not as often as I'd like (something *always* 
comes up!), but at least once a week or every other week.  Was not sure 
about the response in advance.  These are media kids--supposedly too wired 
up to sit still for anything other than a movie, the Internet, video games, 
or TV.  I also teach readers that are at or above grade level, so I thought 
they'd complain about my babying them.

You ought to see their faces.

They gasp, and sigh, and go "ooh" in all the right places... and if there's 
an ending they especially like, they clap and grin... and demand I tell them 
another one instead of giving that spelling test or beginning that grammar 
lesson.  And I think about the parents who are just too busy to read to 
them, or don't value reading, and feel so sorry for them... how much they 
miss!

Nah.  Childhood hasn't vanished yet.  ;-)

Speaking of kids, does anyone watch that new drama on Fox, "Boston Public"?  
I just started three weeks ago... would love to chat offlist about it with 
someone who's been watching all season.  All I'll say is this--I'm glad to 
see a show about *teachers* have such good ratings (most school shows are 
about the kids), but a complaint:  even high school teachers don't look 
*that* good at the end of the school day.  Not after more than 150 kids or 
teens have "run through" you.  Dead tired doesn't begin to describe how you 
feel.  And *where* are the chalk/overhead marker/stamp ink smudges on their 
hands?  Even the most fastidious of us don't escape that!  <vbg>

--Ebony

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
Ebony AKA AngieJ
ebonyink at hotmail.com

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