An archived stack of papers: August 2006

New Year; First Day

In a stack of papers called Instruction.

  • Aug
  • 29
  • 2006

For my district, today was the first day of classes. It’s interesting to see what the summer brings to students’ lives, both physically and mentally. One student left last year with short hair that barely covered his ears. He returned this year brushing his dark brown and yellow blonde streaked hair out of his eyes in that accidentally-on-purpose way, clearly a more confident soul.

I... read more

Refuse To Spoil: Irrelevance Is Best, Part 5

In a stack of papers called Instruction.

  • Aug
  • 28
  • 2006

Reading about characters and settings you can’t relate to is no reason to abandon the story. It may be that making the decision to stick with a story, despite the fact that it takes place in a world you can’t imagine and have no connection to, is the best decision for you. Maybe irrelevant reading is a necessary evil, like dentists and shopping malls at Christmas time.

Set... read more

Maturity: Irrelevance Is Best, Part 4

In a stack of papers called Instruction.

  • Aug
  • 25
  • 2006

It’s entirely possible that reading stories irrelevant to your life is the best thing for you. Imagine keeping your knowledge so limited that you only know about the things in the immediate life you lead. Irrelevant material makes you more aware of how you fit into the world. I want to make this clear to students.

On Being Mature

Teachers often hear complaints that students... read more

If Not The CAHSEE, Then What?

In a stack of papers called Testing.

  • Aug
  • 22
  • 2006

The California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) is not perfect. It lacks modifications for special education students. It fails to take into consideration the multiple ways students grow. Nor does it acknowledge the disparity in learning environments that exist across the state. The CAHSEE has problems.

But am I really to believe that it is entirely a terrible idea? Is there nothing good about the... read more

Impact: Irrelevance Is Best, Part 3

In a stack of papers called Instruction.

  • Aug
  • 21
  • 2006

If “a hurricane triggered by butterfly wings,” this idea that a small action can have gigantic and unforeseen consequences far away, is accurate then students need to be aware of how the things they do impact people they will never meet. The easiest way to do that, as I can see it, is to introduce students to various ways of life through reading.

Hurricanes And... read more

Read Away Selfishness: Irrelevance Is Best, Part 2

In a stack of papers called Instruction.

  • Aug
  • 18
  • 2006

When Krakatoa exploded in 1883, the telegraph reported that news around the world faster than any catastrophe had been reported before. Because of that, people began to see the world extend beyond their town or city or country. The idea of a selfish view of the world, that the only things worth knowing about happen to me, becomes harder to embrace when we know about life elsewhere. Information connected... read more

Shrink The World: Irrelevance Is Best, Part 1

In a stack of papers called Instruction.

  • Aug
  • 13
  • 2006

Do we spoil teenagers if we feed them reading that’s only about what limited things interest them at this given time? Sure, that type of reading has its place. It’s key to appeal to a teenager, providing strong and interesting examples of writing. We want to build the idea that not all reading is boring and that reading can lead to a happier life (yes, I honestly believe... read more

An Unfortunate Truth: Cultural Literacy Redefined

In a stack of papers called Reading.

  • Aug
  • 11
  • 2006

Hirsch’s conception of “what it means to be not only just a literate American but an active citizen in our multicultural democracy” stands as a strong testament to Hirsch’s ideology. But is it valuable anymore? As our society grows ever more multicultural and multimedia (an important consideration seemingly ignored by Hirsch), do we... read more

Use V. Value: Cultural Literacy Redefined

In a stack of papers called Reading.

  • Aug
  • 07
  • 2006

What does it mean to be culturally literate today, and is such literacy useful, particularly in the absorption of information? (source)

The usefulness of cultural literacy depends on whose definition or classifications of cultural literacy we refer to and the culture under question. Pop culture in society at large contains a... read more

More Definitions: Cultural Literacy Redefined

In a stack of papers called Reading.

  • Aug
  • 04
  • 2006

On a recent “Today” episode, a commentator discussed Mel Gibson’s drunken anti-Semitic commentary. “There are some folks who want to Dixie Chick Mel Gibson.” That requires some background information in popular media (read as: cultural literacy).

Pop Media As Cultural... read more