Strategy 10- Providing Opportunities for Student Choice (Critical Literacy)

Providing opportunities for student choice, is defined as "Students select books based on interest and then conduct research based on a theme or the context of the novel. While reading chosen novels and discussing the historical or political context of the novel, students can evaluate why the author chose to write in a particular manner and hypothesize why the author may have privileged certain themes. " 

Bibliography: "Critical Literacy." Critical Literacy. Learn NC, n.d. Web.

This should be used because student choice in any type of research has long been seen by constructionists and critical pedagogues as an effective way to involve, encourage, and empower students to actively participate in the construction of knowledge. By letting students choose they approve students interest. It is not critical though unless students are looking at the problems "involved in society and how the conditions of society created the problem." This strategy can be used at any point where there are different social matters on the table. An example of this would be studying something like immigration and the different points of views. Students can have a choice of what texts to they choose to analyze this matter and what the author is trying to portray. 

Strategy 9- (Critical Literacy)

One of the strategies that I found on "Learn NC" was reading multiple texts and this is defined as  "Incorporating multiple texts based on similar literary themes offers students the opportunity to critique the values or voices that are being promoted. Furthermore, this practice challenges the idea that meaning is fixed and encourages students to use evidence to support their interpretation. Students can evaluate the social, cultural, and historical frameworks of texts by analyzing differing perspectives of a single event."

This strategy can be used when presented with an event that is typically remembered a certain way or something that students believe something happened in a particular way by only getting one perspective. They gave an example of using To Kill a Mockingbird and other books from that time to compare perspectives of people of different background from that area. I didn't think about it then but my teacher in my film class last year used this strategy. We read a book and saw two movies of "La noche de Tlatelolco", of when hundreds of Mexican students were killed in the plaza by the goverment because of their protests. It was interesting to see different views because the book described it as a horrible event, which it was, but the movie gave it a more optimistic view, as it focused on the unity of students that happened instead of focusing on the fatal night. This was good because I didn't leave this unit with such a bitter note as I would've if I would've only read the book. 

"Critical Literacy." Critical Literacy. Learn NC, n.d. Web.

Text 10- Diego (Gender, culture)

This book is a narration told by Diego himself of how he began to become interested in art. He describes this process as he is growing up. He then says a few things about when he was older and goes on to describe some of civil rights views.

Bibliography: Winter, Jeanette, and Jonah Winter. Diego: In English and Spanish. New York: Knopf, 1991. Print.

I used Frida Kahlo as one of the options for gender and using Diego Rivera as a male option is not a bad idea. I often believe that it is important to talk about women because I believe we are overlooked in many areas, but now I'm doing the same with males. It's also not a bad idea because they were married and I believe it would be interesting to compare both. It is also not very common to be an artist as a male in a macho world (also known as Mexico) but Diego finds a way to fight this and show that his paintings go beyond that. He sends civil rights messages through his hands and through his drawings and he didn't care what others thought. This sends a cultural message at the same time talking about the most famous and acclaimed mural artist of Mexico.

Text 9- Oso pardo, oso pardo, ¿qué ves ahí? (Brown Bear and Friends) (ability, ESL)

   This book goes through a series of questions that different animals are asking each other. First the bear is asked what he is looking for. Then he says he is looking at a red bird that is looking at him. Then the red bird is asked what he is looking at and he says that he is looking at a blue horse and so forth from that.

Annotation: Carle, Eric. Oso Pardo, Oso Pardo Que Ves Ahi. New York: Henry Holt, 1967. Print.

This book consists of easy practical vocabulary. This is a book that can be used in the beginning stages of learning a new language. Even though when speaking the language it is not very accurate, it is important to build up confidence enough for them just to say anything. This book does a good job at presenting colors, animals and the first tense in a very simple way but still presents very useful adjectives for future use. As my professor told me, our students are like toddlers learning how to speak, but of course another. And its the simple things that will always work the best.

Strategy 8- Web Quest (Assessment)

   As described by Pastore, "WebQuests are meaningful web-based activities designed to challenge the learner's problem-solving and higher-order thinking skills.  WebQuests have become popular with teachers because they help them integrate the Internet into the curriculum through a 6-step model that has been field tested and proved successful through a wide range of grade levels and subjects." These assessments can be used in different ways at different times.  


Bibliography: Pastore, Raymond S. "Finding, Creating, and Using WebQuests." Http://teacherworld.com/webquest.html. N.p., n.d. Web.

    When I would use a Web Quest as an assessment would be after we have studied something cultural and its something that I believe students would be interested in exploring the subject further. Students are using 21st century skills by using technology but also looking and trying to more than what is presented to them in class. They have the ability to discover new things and even teach the teacher about their findings. An example would be of when I gave a lesson about "La Alhambra" and my trip there. I explained several interesting facts and at the end as the ticket out the door I asked students to write down three things they learned and if they would visit La Alhambra one day. My last request was for them to write down any questions or final thoughts about La Alhambra. To my surprise there were many more questions than final comments. This would be an ideal time to further explore La Alhambra. I would compile a list of questions that they asked me and make take them to the computer lab so they can find the information and then their assessment would include a presentation about the new findings. They would also have to search for something similar to La Alhambra in the United States and state the similarities and the differences.

Strategy 7- Assessment (choice boards)

Choice board would typically be assigned at the end of a unit when they have had enough skills develop to successfully develop each assessment. Students are given a board with different choices  of assignments and they can pick the one they want to do.

This would be most appropriate at the end of unit, because like said above, students by then have gathered enough skills successfully complete each task. They will have a much higher chance to complete it with high success if they already have developed the skills necessary. This would be appropriate in any classroom because all our students are different. This should be used for assessment because it fits with different types of learning and abilities for students. If crafted carefully, this has the potential to fit everyone's needs. Some students that are more artistic can choose the activities that require something artistic and a student that prefers to write can construct something the has to do with word. An example of this is when I was taking AP English 11. We had to use 100 words that would most likely appear on the AP Exam. She gave use different options and I choose one outside of the choice board and she approved. I did a paper quilt using 100 of the words and in the back there was the definition and an example of the use of the word. Now that I look back, maybe it wasn't the easiest way to study these words but it sure let me use my creativity at that time.  I believe even though these may be harder to grade, they are a good way to see and get to know students. 

Text 8- Qué cosas dice mi abuela (Gender, culture)

   This book goes through a series of common phrases in the Spanish language. A boy is narrating the what the grandma does for him and his siblings and along with this he mentions all the popular sayings like " con el tiempo y la paciencia se adquiere la ciencia", something that a Latina Grandmother would say. He mentions that she wakes them up to go to school and helps his little brother put on his clothes. He then mentions that she helps him get on the bus. They get home from school and then she has the food ready fro them. She then helps them with homework and other tasks. And again, with all this, she is giving them advice along the way. 


Annotation: Galan, Ana, and Pablo Pino. ¡Que Cosas Dice Mi Abuela!: Dichos Y Refranes Sobre Los Buenos Modales. New York: Scholastic, 2011. Print.

T          This is a very simple book but I believe it has very important lessons from it. First students get to see the importance of women in the a Latino society where it is primarily patriarch-tic. Often times we have the idea that Latin American countries is like "macho land" and this is true but I believe that women play a very important role in the family and this book does a good job demonstrating the importance of women. Besides this, students also get to compare the difference of what their grandmother does for them in the United States or other countries and what grandmothers in Latin American countries do and believe in as well, something that my OSTE has told me that is crucial in doing. She told me that there was a standard that required this and bringing in books like this would be beneficial for them. I believe that sayings send an important message of what society believes in, in other parts of the world.