Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Topic: "Why Do We Have to Read This Stuff? It's Dumb."

10-second review: Questions from the teacher helped students think about what they read. These questions included relating what was read to the students’ lives.


Title: “The Art of Asking Questions: Two Classes That Changed My Teaching Life.” Ken Donelson. English Journal (July 2008), 75-78. A publication of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).


Comment: Nothing starts a discussion better than a good question. I suggest that good questions start with the students. What do they really want to know? A good question from the teacher will move the discussion along. And one of those questions about the literary work the teacher should ask, if the students don’t, is, “Why read this?” If the students can’t answer that, and the teacher can’t either, maybe they shouldn’t read it. RayS.

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