This video has been making the rounds on Twitter. In it, a teacher interviews students to find out how many assigned books they actually read in high school, grades 9-11. Then, these 12th graders were given the freedom to choose their own books, and their reading soared. Many of them quadrupled the amount of reading they accomplished in their senior year versus compulsory 9-11 reading.
The obvious conclusion: give your students the freedom to choose their reading materials, and they will read more.
This is a no-brainer. It's how we are all wired. We like to what we like to do.
BUT... I think there is room for disagreement about how this is worked out in the English classroom. If students only read what they want to read, they will not be exposed to some of the greatest shapers of culture. A common canon allows us to build on ideas and speak intelligently about the world around us.
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| I kind of love books :) |
However, I also introduce books that the class reads together. And yes, many of them are classics. I don't want my students to fall asleep between the pages of a massive tome, but I do think there is beauty and poetry in words skillfully crafted into a story of mankind.
It's my job to hook these students into more challenging books. It's easy to entertain children with marshmallows, but in the end you are only left with fluff. My goal is to meet students where they are at, and show them the possibilities of where they can go. Yes, it's more responsibility on the teacher and yes, creative curriculum design is time-consuming and difficult, but it's oh so very much worth it to see the light bulb go on when a student is engrossed with Dostoyevsky.
Where does technology fit into all of this? Technology can be the bridge that brings dusty classics to life. Critical analysis doesn't belong to only acclaimed publishers. Students can be a part of the conversation.
I am teaching at a school where an abundance of books does not exist. The closest and only bookstore closed about two years ago, and most students do not have internet access at home to order from online book companies(much less the money). There are two places where students can find books they like- our library and my classroom. So many of my former students come in between classes to borrow books or discuss favorite authors. I ask these former students to list their recommendations or favorite quotes to be listed on my front board. For my sophomores, who carry a lot of prejudice towards reading assignments, they want to join in the conversation. They want to find a way to get "on the board". I didn't even notice this as a tool for hooking them in until my third year there. I will also use some of their responses from our shared class reading to be put on the board. It's a visual reminder of the ongoing conversation that books can cause and I am so happy to see students engage with it.
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