Student ChoiceSHIFTING FROM ONE-

SIZE-FITS-ALL CURRICULA TOWARD

GUIDED CHOICE: ALIGNING PRACTICAL STRATEGIES WHICH ENCOURAGE CHOICE

WITH NCTE'S RESEARCH-BASED

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EFFECTIVE ADOLESCENT LITERACY INSTRUCTION

Barry GilmoreDr. Sue Gilmore

Dr. Sharon Chaney

Presentation Outline

I. What choices do we offer already?II. What does the research say?

III. How can we categorize choice?IV. What does choice look like in a language arts classroom?

V. Questions and discussion

I. What choices do we offer already?

Presentation Outline

I. What choices do we offer already?II. What does the research say?

The practices of highly effective adolescent literacy teachers reveal a number of common qualities…

#5 …using hands-on, scaffolding, minilessons, discussions, group work, student choice, ample feedback, and multiple forms of expression.

The Council Chronicle, NCTE, September 2007, p. 20

II. What does the research say?

“…a new study calculates the one-third of American college students have to enroll in remedial classes. The bill to colleges and taxpayers to bring them up to speed on material they were supposed to learn in high school comes to between $2.3 billion and $2.9 billion annually.”

“Diploma to Nowhere,” Study by Strong American Schools, as reported by Associated Press, September, 2008.

II. What does the research say?

In handouts: Examples of Choice in Schools (Kohn)

“higher on standardized tests”

“more likely…to continue working even on relatively uninteresting tasks.”

“even if our only criterion is academic performance, choice works.”

Students from high schools whose “essential value was democracy” performed better in college than their peers.

Kathy Irwin, "The Eight Year Study," in Jervis and Montag, eds., p. 59.

II. What does the research say?

We found a plethora of information about students' reading preferences in the literature classroom. However, few resources focus on teaching students how to choose in the literature classroom specifically.

(ALAN review, Susan Dunn, 2003)

II. What does the research say?

The Value of Choice

School Policy:

1. In each grade, students read two books for summer reading

2. All students read the same two books

3. Teachers may not assign other work over the summer

4. Teachers must assess reading in some way during first week of school

5. Essential reading list (with books provided to school)

Distress is inversely related to how much influence and autonomy teachers say they have with respect to school policy.

Elizabeth Tuettemann and Keith F. Punch, "Teachers' Psychological Distress: The Ameliorating Effects of Control over the Work Environment," Educational Review, vol. 44, 1992, pp. 181-94.

The Value of Choice

Your Choice:

Turn your paper in on time and get full credit or turn it in late and get half credit.

The Value of Choice

For your summer reading, choose one of the following:

1. The Song of Roland (anon.)2. Morte D’Arthur (Mallory)3. Le Roman de la Rose (Christine de

Pisan)

The Value of Choice

For your summer reading, choose two of the following:

Peace Like a River The Bluest Eye The CrucibleMoby Dick Summons to Memphis The AwakeningThe Things They Carried Herland Eva LunaCatcher in the Rye Catch-22 Raisin in the SunMy Antonia Confederacy of Dunces FencesAge of Innocence House of Seven Gables WaldenThe Bean Trees Going After Cacciato The Color PurpleDeath of a Salesman Sacred Hunger The Joy Luck Club Beloved All the Pretty Horses Tortilla CurtainIn Cold Blood Blood Meridian The Dispossessed Invisible Man Bonfire of the Vanities CarameloThe Sound and the Fury The House of the Spirits Farewell to ArmsThe Sun Also Rises The Unvanquished East of EdenThe Handmaid’s Tale The Killer Angels Our Town

Presentation Outline

I. What choices do we offer already?II. What does the research say?

When Wilhelm asked his students about the role of choice in the classroom, they responded, "You made us think that we had choices, but you were always putting stuff in front of us." Another student responded that limited choice was still choice. "Hey, when you go to a restaurant, you can choose a dessert, but only from the desserts they have." Another student joined in with, "Yeah, if you could choose any dessert in the whole wide world you might never make up your mind..." (47).

(ALAN Review, 2003, Vol. 31, No. 1)

Limited Choice

Voting

Guided Choice

Unlimited Choice

Free Choice

Consensus

Individual Choice

Group Choice

Classroom Practicality

Civic/Personal Agency

III. How can we categorize choice?

Student Choice (typical model)Choice of

books (from a list)

Choice of writing topics

(from 2-3)Casual student input regarding

deadlines

Choice of elective

courses (within schedule)

Reading

Writing

Activities

Deadlines

Rubrics

Syllabi

texts

topics, genres, format

use of class time

due dates and amounts

values, criteria, type

book lists, class focus

Student Choice (possible model)

What we learn

How we learn

Why we learn

How we choose

Presentation Outline

I. What choices do we offer already?II. What does the research say?

III. How can we categorize choice?IV. What does choice look like in a language arts classroom?

Sample assignment

sA process for writing

Student-developed

syllabi

Literature and choice

More Student Choices, More Student Interest

Capstone

Extended Essay

Summative AssessmentSenior Literary Thesis

A Model for Choice

Choice of theme

Choice of literary works to explore theme

Choice of adult advisor

Some ancillary benefits of shifting to choice

Students feel more control over assignmentStudents develop relationships with other adults interested in literature and writingStudents explore ways to find critical material

Teacher gets to read a variety of papersTeacher shows commitment to research-based learning

Prompt Attention: Writing and Choice

Concern: If I give students choice,

they’re more likely to plagiarize

Prompt Attention: Writing and Choice

Brainstorm topics as a class

I. What choices do we offer already?

Prompt Attention: Writing and Choice

Brainstorm topics as a class

Choose individual topic/discussFind and peer-check evidenceWrite a thesis statement

Discussion

Write an individual paper

Investment

Ownership

Interest

Motivation

Better Product

More Learning

Senior Seminar(modeling

choice)

Week One Classes choose course topic

In-class discussion

Online discussion

Group discussion

Survey

Teacher proposes book list

Discussion/tweaking

Contracting

Counter-Culture Literature

Romantic Comedy and the Silver

ScreenThe Graphic Novel

Senior Seminar(modeling

choice)

Week One Classes choose course topic

Weeks 2-9 Class Reading

Group Reading

Group Essay Topics

Individual Essay Thesis Statements

Group Projects

Reading and Writing Choices

Senior Seminar(modeling

choice)

Week One Classes choose course topic

Weeks 2-9 Reading and Writing Choices

Weeks 10-18 Participation Choices

Student-led discussion activities

Individual reading choices

Literature, Choice, and Civic Agency

Democracy and decision-making: Lord of the Flies, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, An Enemy of the People

When democracy fails--dystopias: 1984, Brave New World, The Giver

Personal choices: “The Road Not Taken,” To Kill a Mockingbird

Presentation Outline

I. What choices do we offer already?II. What does the research say?

III. How can we categorize choice?IV. What does choice look like in a language arts classroom?

V. Questions and discussion

Handouts and PowerPoint: http://barrygilmore.wikispaces.c

omBooks and Lesson Plans:www.barrygilmore.com