Students often read because they are told they have to; however, I want students to find meaning in the text they read. One way to do this is through annotation. In order to garner a love of reading, students must first learn how to read intentionally.
My students are IB students who often desire good grades, but don't fully see that school is not just about being the best students.
They want the best, and I want that for them, but I also want them to have a love of reading and an ability to think critically about the text they read. In order to do that, I have to take them out of their comfort zone and, in essence, teach them how to read again. As 15 and 16 year olds, the last thing they think they need is to learn how to read. Your donation will help them learn that it is exactly that lesson they need.
My Project
In order to do that, it is important for students to mark up text. I teach them to look at the text and pick out words they want to define or make connections to other texts or movies they've seen. While they can do that, it is not without difficulties. By having different color pens at each table, my students will be able to color code their work and make it easier to see connections and definitions. For a visual learner, that can make all of the difference. For the non visual learner, having to switch pens per annotation will force them to stop and think about what it is that they are writing. Is this really what I want to underline? If I am underlining this to define it, but also make a connection with it, what is the value of the diction the author uses? Having them switch the pens like that can really establish a higher level of thinking in these students. By donating to my project, you will be helping students become critical thinkers.
A recent article in The Huffington Post states, "The school owes its students to teach them how to think, not what to think; to question whatever they read, and never to accept any claim blindly; to suspend judgment until they've heard all sides of a question, and interrogate whatever claims to be true, since the truth can withstand any scrutiny." By donating to this project, you will be helping students to discern the value of what they read and that makes you invaluable.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Johnson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.