To Infinity and Beyond...

The article "Why Generation Y is Going to Change the Web" explains how the Internet and technology have affected Generation Y, and in turn, how Generation Y affected that same technology. Although I am a part of Generation Y and my students will be part of Generation Z (or Generation Connected, or Multitasking) it is important to be aware of the consequences of how plugged in Generation Y has been--and is: Generation Y is the first to grow up with the Internet and other new technologies. The long-term consequences and effects of being so "plugged in" will only be magnified for Generation Z and, as a teacher and member of
Generation Y it is important for me to consider all
these implications in my classroom. (You're
following all these generations, right?...)


Much of Generation Y has learned the hard way about the importance of "blogging their every thought and posting those embarrassing pictures." Many have realized how easy it is for potential employers to simply search their name and find everything from their past. However, it seems Generation Y has learned from their mistakes and when it comes to social networks especially, they are very concerned with controlling their privacy settings. Websites like Facebook, Twitter, and even the iPhone app Instagram allow users to adjust their profiles to varying degrees of privacy. What this means for Generation Y teachers is that they will be (or at least they should be...) hyper-aware of what their students are posting on the Internet. I know that I will be teaching my students about creating and keeping up a respectable and professional online version of themselves. I will encourage them to keep anything personal as private as they can and to be wary of who they accept as friends on whatever social network is in vogue at the time.


One of the most interesting points this article about Generation Y made was what is expected in the workplace: "Gen Y in the workplace will not just want, but expect their company to provide them with tools that mirror those they use in their personal lives." If Generation Y needs the new technology they use on a day to day basis, in their jobs as well as social lives, then it is only logical that Generation Z will need those same tools in the classroom. Students I work with in high school now, and even (or especially) my 7 year old nephew, have learned the alphabet, spelling, math, etc., through technology. Whether they used an iPad or books from the LeapFrog series, Generation Z is even more "plugged in" than Generation Y; it would be ridiculous to expect these students to stop using all these technologies when they enter the classroom. It is imperative that teachers of these students recognize how fluidly technology works with their lives and learning styles. It has impacted how they learn, their attention span (which is shorter than previous generations'), and how they interact with one another.


The long-term impacts new technologies have had on Generation Y must be taken into consideration in understanding how Generation X will progress in the classroom. The technology will only continue to advance and both education and the classroom should advance with it. Teachers must embrace these changes and be willing to adapt to the future. Like Buzz Lightyear says...

Teaching Inference

After reading some of Kylene Beers' suggestions on how to get students to make inferences while reading I realized that I had never really thought of the concept before! It's something that I, and so many other independent readers, do without even thinking about it. For students who are still dependent readers and need to be taught specific reading skills, inference is very challenging. Like comprehension, inference is something that needs to be taught explicitly. Before having students make independent inferences while reading a text, there are a few different activities that can be done in the classroom to teach inference:

• It's not only important for students to make their own personal and creative inferences, but also accurate inferences that the author intended all readers to make. In chapter 5, Beers made the point that there is generally a certain knowledge base that readers need in order draw the same inferences -- cultural and historical knowledge of the text is crucial. In my future classroom, I plan on always spending at least one class period discussing the history of the text before we begin it. This can include the time period it is set in, when it was written, the setting, the background of the author, or the culture. The proper historical knowledge base will ensure that students will infer what was intended.
• Inference requires a certain amount of critical thinking on the reader's part. Employing a Socratic Method style of discussion would really help to get students to explain their own inferences. By questioning, and often opposing, their theories and conclusions, the teacher (and other students) can draw out more explanations and reasoning of their inferences. Continuous "why" questions will help students expand their thinking.
• I also really like the idea of giving students a creative outlet in which to portray their inferences. An assignment that has them creating a new book cover for the text they have read could really help them to visualize what they have read. They should create their cover with someone who has never read the text in mind -- the student will focus on what other people can infer from their cover. 
• Since I have a background in film, I always try to create an opportunity to include it in the English classroom. A great way to teach inference is by showing students a clip from the middle of a movie they have never seen. They will have to determine the relationships of the characters, what they are doing, why they are where they are, what they are talking about, etc. Using a film is a great introduction of inference skills before the text is presented. This clip from The Philadelphia Story will not only force the students to infer, but it also shows a young girl making inferences based on what she saw outside her window. 
• Showing the trailer to a movie can also get students using their inference skills. They will have to deduce what kind of people the characters are, what they will be dealing with, what the title of the film means, and at the most basic level -- the genre of the movie. This trailer for Bringing Up Baby will provide a wide variety of inferences since the plot of the film is already so zany.
• And finally, I got the idea of showing a funny example of poor inferences from a colleague, Anna (who has some other great ideas to promote inference). She used the classic "Who's on First?" skit with Abbott & Costello. I thought that this Marx Brothers clip, from a similar vein, would also be a fun example for students: Where's the Flash?

Teaching Strategies for Comprehension

Chapter four of Kylene Beers’ book, When Kids Can’t Read: What Teachers Can Do, discusses the emphasis of teaching reading strategies over straight comprehension – and WHY it’s important. As a teacher-in-training, tips and guidance like Beers gives is as good as gold.

I have always been aware that as English teachers, we must teach and not just tell. Beers makes the distinction between instruction vs. instructions. There is a massive chasm between giving students instructions, which are only directions as to what to do, and providing them with instruction – teaching them how to do something. This differentiation will help me to really think about everything I am saying to my students. Reading the transcripts from the student teacher as well as the follow-up conversations really exemplified the difference between helping students with comprehension of a single text and helping students learn strategies that will help them understand texts they’ll read in the future.

In this chapter, Beers emphasized the importance of both modeling and discussion in the classroom. It is clear that for students to learn and be able to use new reading strategies, they must be clearly explained and modeled, then practiced. For me, this means that my classroom will be a combination of the guided practice method of instruction and student-centered. I will explain what strategy students are to focus on and HOW IT WILL HELP THEM WITH COMPREHENSION before I model it for them while reading aloud. I plan on using small group discussions and literature circles in my classroom so students will have the opportunity to model for one another, discuss their strategies and share unique perspectives on what they read. Beers makes it clear that students must be guided through the process of learning how to use comprehension strategies – sometimes more overtly than teachers may realize.

What Beers’ chapter helped me understand the most is the importance and power of reflection as a teacher. Through the inclusion of the transcripts with Kate, the student teacher, she modeled for me how much reflecting on lessons and instructional methods can help to improve teaching. Sometimes, because the program at UNH is so intensive and immersive, I feel as though I am expected to come out knowing exactly what to do for every class. Reading stories about teachers doing things poorly in their first few years of teaching is encouraging to me. It’s reassuring to know that nobody is perfect and mistakes will be made. The most important part of being a beginning teacher and making mistakes in the classroom is that I reflect! Mistakes can be a good thing, as long as they are used to improve lessons and methods for the future. I also believe in (nearly) full disclosure with my students. If I realize I have done something wrong or wish I taught something another way, I plan on sharing that realization with them – especially if I feel that they can immediately benefit. (Also, as a learning teacher, I like to listen to advice from students. Sometimes what they say is bogus, but it can often be intuitive.) For example, the first “discussion” that Kate had with her class about Eleven was more explanation on her part than students learning any strategies. Should I find myself in that position and had the benefit of debriefing with a mentor teacher, I would revisit the story with the same class. Discussing it again, with a different or more directed focus, would benefit both myself and the students.

Chapter 4 helped me to be more comfortable in my own "beginning teacher skin" – now I know it really is okay to make plenty of mistakes, because teaching is continuously learning -- right alongside the students.