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“Reading Don’t Fix No Chevy’s” by Michael W. Smith and Jeffrey D. Wilhelm

Introduction: Two Very Concerned Teachers

The introduction of this book talks about boys in the educational system and questions why some boys still have trouble with literacy and language arts.  The authors mention that this is not a book about girls and a feminine thing but rather why is it that many boys struggle.  There is quite a bit of research available that discusses why boys don’t perform as well as girls in school but the authors think that this is not a question that can be answered using average test scores.  Averages do not take into consideration specific student’s backgrounds, home lives, communities, urban, rural, mid school, high school, private and public schools, high, mid and low achievers and how these differences influence a student.  The authors thought that it was important to take a sample for their study that will help them not just see what boys struggle in but also how it will help students advance in the areas of literacy and language arts. 

The authors collected four different types of data to help them figure out how the boys in the study value different types of activities, how literate activities fit in to a their overall values and the students were to rank activities from the ones they enjoyed most to least. 

The data is what makes up this book. Each chapter is set up to talk about these students and how literacy plays a part in their daily lives. They were asked to keep track of everything they read, hear, watch and write.  The students were observed both inside of a classroom setting as well as outside of a classroom setting. 

With this plethora of information on the students the author’s are going to consider how this information influences these boys when it comes to literacy as well as talk about how teachers can learn from this and implement changes to their curriculum to help, guide and encourage learners.  

This book is easy to follow and is set up in a way that allows the reader to follow along with the author’s findings.

I am looking forward to getting to know these students through this writing and identifying areas of struggle along with the author. I am hoping to get a great deal of information to help me become a better teacher and a well in formed mentor. 

If anyone is interested in getting this book it is available at http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_27?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=reading+don%27t+fix+no+chevys&x=0&y=0&sprefix=reading+don%27t+fix+no+chevys

Blog Blog Blog...

So this is the first time that I have ever tried blogging.  I was a little bit apprehensive because I don't feel comfortable with it. I even struggled trying to come up with a name and a title. I was required to create this blog for a class I am taking to earn my master's degree.  I am a mother and a wife and this takes up most of my time. I do my best in school and understand the importance of doing well.  I also feel as if my going to school sets a good example for my children.  I am a non traditional student and I think it is great for my children to see that it is never too late to learn.

I think that creating a blog is a great way to share ideas. In a school setting, a blog can be a great way for students to share their ideas as well as learn from others.  If a teacher creates a blog, students can respond and this may be a wonderful way to gauge where students are in their learning and even be an informal form of assessment (based on their responses).

I didn't think that it was difficult to set up my blog. I was surprised by this. I thought it was going to be more difficult or maybe I just underestimated my computer skills. I am looking forward to reading others blogs and getting good information about books that I may be able to use in the classroom or books to help me be the best teacher I can be. I hope to use these blogs as a tool to help me gain knowledge.  I hope to read others blogs with a critical eye but still keep an open mind about where they are coming from and how they feel.

As I looked through different blogs, to become more familiar with the set-up, I came across quite a few that I really enjoyed. I like the blogs written by mothers, which of course are usually about the trials and tribulations of motherhood. However, as a teacher in training, I liked http://readingyear.blogspot.com/. This blog is about children's books and offers reviews.

With so many resources on the internet and now my new introduction to blogging, I feel well equipped.  There is such a plethora of information available to teachers and students, we must be aware of information, it's accuracies and inaccuracies.