Wake up, America--our boys aren't reading. Statistics throughout the years have consistently shown that young male readers lag behind female counterparts. The data are consistent with studies in New Zealand, England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
Why is this happening?
Research on gender and literacy has shown some interesting facts:
1) Boys take longer to learn to read than girls
2) Boys read less than girls
3) Girls comprehend both narrative and expository texts better than boys
4) Boys finding reading boring and no fun
5) Boys like informational texts more than fiction--most reading teachers are women who favor fiction rather than informational texts
6) Boys do not like reading stories about girls; girls don't mind reading about boys or girls
7) Boys enjoy escapism and humor, science fiction, and fantasy
8) The majority of learning support students are boys (80%)
9) Boys like to read books about things they do or might be interested in doing
10) After the early years, boys view reading as a girl's activity
In other words, if we want boys to read, we have to try to help them find interesting, informational books that tap into their personal interests. They need to see their fathers, big brothers, or other male figures reading books. Since boys have a tendency to be more active, they need more breaks and opportunities to move around the classroom even as they are reading. Most older boys like to read books that serve a purpose--like fixing a Chevy . . .
So we can continue to teach them against the grain or accept the fact that those boys in our lives have different needs that must be addressed. Yes, boys will be boys; however, there's no excuse for boys being illiterate and aliterate in today's society.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Pinning People Down in Little Boxes
I love analyzing people with the best of them using the MBTI, the Enneagram, and just about any other personality test available, but why why do people insist on analyzing people to death according to type? I mean do we really all fit into a "type". These "types" don't account changes in life periodically, temporarily or possibly from life events. I pride myself in being a mix of lots of characteristics because I have worked hard on balance. Balance is key. I like to think of myself as a Mixed Type. I don't have a type. I feel as soon as somebody places me in a box, I want to wiggle out and stretch my arms and say "I'm free."
I'm free to be what I want. Maybe today I am an INTP; tomorrow I'll be an ENFP. Who knows. No matter what type I am, and like I said, I do enjoy trying to understand people better using these tests, I still feel that understanding where I am coming from in a larger brushstroke is more important. People are more complicated than a series of adjectives used to describe their behavior and then again, how many of us are truly objective when thinking about ourselves. Aren't these "types" subject to what people may want to think they are--but in reality could be the exact opposite. Of course a certain amount of maturity and intelligence is needed in order take these kinds of tests, but the bottom line is this: Accept people for who they are; observe people in the "now" to make predictions for the "then", put yourself in their shoes for a while and "see" where they are coming from. Don't paint people in broad brushstrokes then complain when you can't understand them. We are all composed series of reflections of light.
I'm free to be what I want. Maybe today I am an INTP; tomorrow I'll be an ENFP. Who knows. No matter what type I am, and like I said, I do enjoy trying to understand people better using these tests, I still feel that understanding where I am coming from in a larger brushstroke is more important. People are more complicated than a series of adjectives used to describe their behavior and then again, how many of us are truly objective when thinking about ourselves. Aren't these "types" subject to what people may want to think they are--but in reality could be the exact opposite. Of course a certain amount of maturity and intelligence is needed in order take these kinds of tests, but the bottom line is this: Accept people for who they are; observe people in the "now" to make predictions for the "then", put yourself in their shoes for a while and "see" where they are coming from. Don't paint people in broad brushstrokes then complain when you can't understand them. We are all composed series of reflections of light.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Double Bind Theory, Anyone?
Want to drive yourself crazy? Find someone who places you in a double bind situation that makes you doubt yourself and feel cornered. Recently I spoke with someone (where and who never mind) who called me to ask a computer-related question. Of course, I eagerly took the bait and agreed to help her with the situation. Here's the conversation (A = acquaintance; M = me)
A: My son says that my daughter's computer needs xyz installed on it. Have you ever heard of this?
M: Well, no, I've never heard of it needing to be installed. I thought it was a part of the system.
A: No, you've never heard of that? My son says it costs $15--I told him to buy it. He was all worried about it--he's so thrifty.
M: At least it's not $100 or more. That's pretty good.
A: I know that's why I told him to get it.
M: Did he take it somewhere to be sure?
A: Well, he is very computer literate so he would know . . .
M: Is he sure that something is not corrupted? Did he check that first?
A: Well, like I said, he knows what he's doing so . . .
M: (processing processing . . . "Then why the hell did you call me in the first place??")
A: Where can you get that? Is this something we can get in (city)?
M: It's probably easier and cheaper to buy it online.
A: Well, that what he IS doing anyway.
M: (processing processing . . . "Then why did you ask me if you can buy it in (city) and where you can find it????)
M: Oh. Well good luck with that. At least it can be fixed.
A: Okay, thanks bye.
Here it is:
Double bind, n.
A: My son says that my daughter's computer needs xyz installed on it. Have you ever heard of this?
M: Well, no, I've never heard of it needing to be installed. I thought it was a part of the system.
A: No, you've never heard of that? My son says it costs $15--I told him to buy it. He was all worried about it--he's so thrifty.
M: At least it's not $100 or more. That's pretty good.
A: I know that's why I told him to get it.
M: Did he take it somewhere to be sure?
A: Well, he is very computer literate so he would know . . .
M: Is he sure that something is not corrupted? Did he check that first?
A: Well, like I said, he knows what he's doing so . . .
M: (processing processing . . . "Then why the hell did you call me in the first place??")
A: Where can you get that? Is this something we can get in (city)?
M: It's probably easier and cheaper to buy it online.
A: Well, that what he IS doing anyway.
M: (processing processing . . . "Then why did you ask me if you can buy it in (city) and where you can find it????)
M: Oh. Well good luck with that. At least it can be fixed.
A: Okay, thanks bye.
Here it is:
Double bind, n.
1. A psychological impasse created when contradictory demands are made of an individual, such as a child or an employee, so that no matter which directive is followed, the response will be construed as incorrect.
2 A situation in which a person must choose between equally unsatisfactory alternatives; a punishing and inescapable dilemma.
From "Schizophrenia and the Family II: Paradox and Absurdity in Human Communication Reconsidered" by Matthijs Koopmans (York College/CUNY)
"Feedback and stability in the system are closely related: ongoing positive feedback cycles produce high fluctuation, structural change, or, in extreme instances, chaotic behavior. Ongoing negative feedback cycles, on the other hand, have a stabilizing effect on the system. High variability in communicative expressions indicates lack of stability. Whether feedback is defined as positive or negative depends on whether fluctuation are increased or reduced in such situations."
No wonder I felt crazy . . .
Saturday, June 16, 2007
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Pulitzer Prize Winner, 2007
(From the book jacket)
Father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don’t know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food—and each other. The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, “each the other’s world entire,” are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation.
Cormac McCarthy is the author of nine previous novels. Among his honors are the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award.
From the Pulitzer Board
Sounds moving, deep, penetrating. I'll save this is for when I have time to ponder its depths.
(From the book jacket)
Father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don’t know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food—and each other. The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, “each the other’s world entire,” are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation.
Cormac McCarthy is the author of nine previous novels. Among his honors are the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award.
From the Pulitzer Board
Sounds moving, deep, penetrating. I'll save this is for when I have time to ponder its depths.
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Random Acts of Violence . . .
I've had some time now to reflect on the Virginia Tech shootings and one thought swirls around in my mind again and again. Why were the officials of Virginia Tech surprised? In a recent news article, the former English department chairperson said that "the anger Cho expressed was palpable if not explicit." And the writing was so disturbing that she approached university police and officials for help. What happened after that? What interventions were done? According to CNN, Cho was reported several times to the police for stalking or harassing women. Later a former roommate reported to authorities that Cho might be suicidal.
In 2005 police asked Cho to see a counselor after speaking with him at length, and a temporary detention order was obtained. At that time, Cho was declared mentally ill by a Virginia special justice, who declared that Cho was "an imminent danger" to himself. Also included in this temporary detention was confirmation that Cho "presents an imminent danger to himself as a result of mental illness;" however, a box indicating that the subject "Presents an imminent danger to others as a result of mental illness" was not checked.
In another part of the form, Cho was described as "mentally ill and in need of hospitalization, and presents an imminent danger to self or others as a result of mental illness, or is so seriously mentally ill as to be substantially unable to care for self, and is incapable of volunteering or unwilling to volunteer for treatment." So how does a person who is incapable of taking care of himself and incompetent enough to recognize his serious mental health problems only stay in a mental health facility for two days? A two-day stint at the local mental health unit? That's all? Was he medicated? Why was a person so disturbed allowed to leave a clinic on his own volition? Was he THAT good at either lying or covering his feelings that he was able to convince the mental health staff he was well enough to go? I'm baffled.
Obviously acts of violence are NEVER random. Cho's creative writing samples clearly show that he fantasized about killing people and getting back at people for past grievances. It appears that Cho wanted to be a black sheep--to be seen as different. And as much as he tried to hide from society with his demeanor he also wanted to be noticed. He was crying out so loudly but nobody really heard him. They saw him as a weirdo--which he probably was--but with good reason. His enigmatic personality and strange classroom antics (taking pictures of students in class), ultimately drew attention to himself in a powerful way. By freaking out his peers HE was now the one in control. So as long as people ignored him and wrote him off as crazy, the more agitated he became, and the higher the ante became. In the end, he memorialized himself by committing a horrific violent act--one that could have been prevented. He had the last say, he chose who was to die and live, his voice was heard, his life was analyzed from every angle and standpoint possible from every major network in the US and outside the US. But a random suicide would not get him noticed--a seemingly random, large scale act of violence would. It would touch all of us in some way. He was finally noticed.
In 2005 police asked Cho to see a counselor after speaking with him at length, and a temporary detention order was obtained. At that time, Cho was declared mentally ill by a Virginia special justice, who declared that Cho was "an imminent danger" to himself. Also included in this temporary detention was confirmation that Cho "presents an imminent danger to himself as a result of mental illness;" however, a box indicating that the subject "Presents an imminent danger to others as a result of mental illness" was not checked.
In another part of the form, Cho was described as "mentally ill and in need of hospitalization, and presents an imminent danger to self or others as a result of mental illness, or is so seriously mentally ill as to be substantially unable to care for self, and is incapable of volunteering or unwilling to volunteer for treatment." So how does a person who is incapable of taking care of himself and incompetent enough to recognize his serious mental health problems only stay in a mental health facility for two days? A two-day stint at the local mental health unit? That's all? Was he medicated? Why was a person so disturbed allowed to leave a clinic on his own volition? Was he THAT good at either lying or covering his feelings that he was able to convince the mental health staff he was well enough to go? I'm baffled.
Obviously acts of violence are NEVER random. Cho's creative writing samples clearly show that he fantasized about killing people and getting back at people for past grievances. It appears that Cho wanted to be a black sheep--to be seen as different. And as much as he tried to hide from society with his demeanor he also wanted to be noticed. He was crying out so loudly but nobody really heard him. They saw him as a weirdo--which he probably was--but with good reason. His enigmatic personality and strange classroom antics (taking pictures of students in class), ultimately drew attention to himself in a powerful way. By freaking out his peers HE was now the one in control. So as long as people ignored him and wrote him off as crazy, the more agitated he became, and the higher the ante became. In the end, he memorialized himself by committing a horrific violent act--one that could have been prevented. He had the last say, he chose who was to die and live, his voice was heard, his life was analyzed from every angle and standpoint possible from every major network in the US and outside the US. But a random suicide would not get him noticed--a seemingly random, large scale act of violence would. It would touch all of us in some way. He was finally noticed.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Mr. Vonnegut, We'll Miss You
Novelist Kurt Vonnegut Dies at Age 84
Apr 12, 11:55 AM EST
The Associated Press
NEW YORK -- In books such as "Slaughterhouse-Five ," "Cat's Cradle," and "Hocus Pocus," Kurt Vonnegut mixed the bitter and funny with a touch of the profound. Vonnegut, regarded by many critics as a key influence in shaping 20th-century American literature, died Wednesday at 84. He had suffered brain injuries after a recent fall at his Manhattan home, said his wife, photographer Jill Krementz.
Vonnegut's more than a dozen books, short stories, essays and plays contained elements of social commentary, science fiction and autobiography.
In a statement, Norman Mailer hailed Vonnegut as "a marvelous writer with a style that remained undeniably and imperturbably his own. ... I would salute him our own Mark Twain."
"He was sort of like nobody else," said another fellow author, Gore Vidal. "Kurt was never dull."
A self-described religious skeptic and freethinking humanist, Vonnegut used protagonists such as Billy Pilgrim ("Slaughterhouse-Fiv e") and Eliot Rosewater ("God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater") as transparent vehicles for his points of view.
Like "Catch-22," by Vonnegut's friend, Joseph Heller, "Slaughterhouse-Five " was a World War II novel embraced by opponents of the Vietnam War, linking a so-called "good war" to the unpopular conflict of the 1960s and '70s.
Vonnegut lectured regularly, exhorting audiences to think for themselves and delighting in barbed commentary against the institutions he felt were dehumanizing people.
"He was a man who combined a wicked sense of humor and sort of steady moral compass, who was always sort of looking at the big picture of the things that were most important," said Joel Bleifuss, editor of In These Times, a liberal magazine based in Chicago that featured Vonnegut articles.
Some of Vonnegut's books were banned and burned for alleged obscenity. He took on censorship as an active member of the PEN writers' aid group and the American Civil Liberties Union.
The American Humanist Association, which promotes individual freedom, rational thought and scientific skepticism, made him its honorary president.
Vonnegut said the villains in his books were never individuals, but culture, society and history, which he said were making a mess of the planet.
"I like to say that the 51st state is the state of denial," he told The Associated Press in 2005.
continued http://entertainment.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=258339>1=9246&mpc=2
Works by Kurt Vonnegut
"Player Piano," 1951
"The Sirens of Titan," 1959
"Canary in a Cat House," 1961 (short works)
"Mother Night," 1961
"Cat's Cradle," 1963
"God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater," 1965
"Welcome to the Monkey House," 1968 (short works)
"Slaughterhouse-F ive," 1969
"Happy Birthday, Wanda June," 1971 (play)
"Between Time and Timbuktu," 1972 (TV script)
"Breakfast of Champions," 1973
"Wampeters, Foma & Granfalloons," 1974 (opinions)
"Slapstick," 1976
"Jailbird," 1979
"Palm Sunday: An Autobiographical Collage," 1981 (essays)
"Deadeye Dick," 1982
"Galapagos," 1985
"Bluebeard," 1987
"Hocus Pocus," 1990
"Fates Worse than Death: An Autobiographical Collage of the 1980s," 1991 (essays)
"Timequake," 1997
"A Man Without a Country," 2005 (essays)
Apr 12, 11:55 AM EST
The Associated Press
NEW YORK -- In books such as "Slaughterhouse-Five ," "Cat's Cradle," and "Hocus Pocus," Kurt Vonnegut mixed the bitter and funny with a touch of the profound. Vonnegut, regarded by many critics as a key influence in shaping 20th-century American literature, died Wednesday at 84. He had suffered brain injuries after a recent fall at his Manhattan home, said his wife, photographer Jill Krementz.
Vonnegut's more than a dozen books, short stories, essays and plays contained elements of social commentary, science fiction and autobiography.
In a statement, Norman Mailer hailed Vonnegut as "a marvelous writer with a style that remained undeniably and imperturbably his own. ... I would salute him our own Mark Twain."
"He was sort of like nobody else," said another fellow author, Gore Vidal. "Kurt was never dull."
A self-described religious skeptic and freethinking humanist, Vonnegut used protagonists such as Billy Pilgrim ("Slaughterhouse-Fiv e") and Eliot Rosewater ("God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater") as transparent vehicles for his points of view.
Like "Catch-22," by Vonnegut's friend, Joseph Heller, "Slaughterhouse-Five " was a World War II novel embraced by opponents of the Vietnam War, linking a so-called "good war" to the unpopular conflict of the 1960s and '70s.
Vonnegut lectured regularly, exhorting audiences to think for themselves and delighting in barbed commentary against the institutions he felt were dehumanizing people.
"He was a man who combined a wicked sense of humor and sort of steady moral compass, who was always sort of looking at the big picture of the things that were most important," said Joel Bleifuss, editor of In These Times, a liberal magazine based in Chicago that featured Vonnegut articles.
Some of Vonnegut's books were banned and burned for alleged obscenity. He took on censorship as an active member of the PEN writers' aid group and the American Civil Liberties Union.
The American Humanist Association, which promotes individual freedom, rational thought and scientific skepticism, made him its honorary president.
Vonnegut said the villains in his books were never individuals, but culture, society and history, which he said were making a mess of the planet.
"I like to say that the 51st state is the state of denial," he told The Associated Press in 2005.
continued http://entertainment.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=258339>1=9246&mpc=2
Works by Kurt Vonnegut
"Player Piano," 1951
"The Sirens of Titan," 1959
"Canary in a Cat House," 1961 (short works)
"Mother Night," 1961
"Cat's Cradle," 1963
"God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater," 1965
"Welcome to the Monkey House," 1968 (short works)
"Slaughterhouse-F ive," 1969
"Happy Birthday, Wanda June," 1971 (play)
"Between Time and Timbuktu," 1972 (TV script)
"Breakfast of Champions," 1973
"Wampeters, Foma & Granfalloons," 1974 (opinions)
"Slapstick," 1976
"Jailbird," 1979
"Palm Sunday: An Autobiographical Collage," 1981 (essays)
"Deadeye Dick," 1982
"Galapagos," 1985
"Bluebeard," 1987
"Hocus Pocus," 1990
"Fates Worse than Death: An Autobiographical Collage of the 1980s," 1991 (essays)
"Timequake," 1997
"A Man Without a Country," 2005 (essays)
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
The Grouchies
With winter finally behind us (I hope), and more sunshine in front of us I hope that the weather can eliminate some of the grouchies. I have dealt with some of the rudest people in the past few months, and I often wonder if they are getting enough vitamin D and calcium which stave off depression or seasonal affective disorder. Some of the grouchiest people I have dealt with are service workers who act as though you are impinging on their very, very important work, or that they are doing you a huge favor by answering the phone and speaking to you. Blah. If they're in a funk and feel grouchy I suggest they don't answer the phone. Don't talk to me. Or anybody.
As a teacher, I usually can handle such annoying people by making a calming statement, cracking a joke to ease the tension, or privately (but nicely) putting that person in his or her place. However I have found that when dealing with people in the service profession, it works best to end the conversation quickly and say "thank you" for their help without missing a beat. They usually sound puzzled. Good. Getting off the phone saves my sanity, prevents them from doing any more damage, and prevents me from reaching into my tool box of extremely biting zingers to blast into the phone. And I really don't want to use those gems too frequently--particularly if I have to deal with those people on a regular basis.
I guess I expect my day to be filled with issues. If a day goes considerably well without too many problems I consider it a gift--not a right. And when I have a grouchy day (which is rare), I just let people know that "it's not a four star day" for me, but I don't take it out on them (at least knowingly!)
All I can say is . . . get over it.
As a teacher, I usually can handle such annoying people by making a calming statement, cracking a joke to ease the tension, or privately (but nicely) putting that person in his or her place. However I have found that when dealing with people in the service profession, it works best to end the conversation quickly and say "thank you" for their help without missing a beat. They usually sound puzzled. Good. Getting off the phone saves my sanity, prevents them from doing any more damage, and prevents me from reaching into my tool box of extremely biting zingers to blast into the phone. And I really don't want to use those gems too frequently--particularly if I have to deal with those people on a regular basis.
I guess I expect my day to be filled with issues. If a day goes considerably well without too many problems I consider it a gift--not a right. And when I have a grouchy day (which is rare), I just let people know that "it's not a four star day" for me, but I don't take it out on them (at least knowingly!)
All I can say is . . . get over it.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Work . . .
Why do we work so hard in the US? In most European countries, people have around six weeks of vacation time, but, here, we feel guilty if we take one. I feel guilty if I take a vacation day or a personal day because I know that it stresses everyone out who has to cover for me.
Shortly before the day(s) off, I make sure everything is perfectly organized, lesson plans are impeccably designed, and I actually clean off my desk. Then I try to avoid the "coverees" because it’s agonizing to see their forced smiles and pained looks as they say, "Everything will be okay. I’m fine. Really." HA. I don’t believe them!
I always get a nagging feeling when I return back to my classroom that the previous day was sheer pandemonium. It’s as though a big cloud of bad karma is still hovering in the air. After my guilt-ridden day off, I see the "coverees" in the halls looking slightly rumpled and exhausted, nodding their heads saying, "I don’t know how you do it." Neither do I. I need a vacation.
Thank goodness for understanding, but slightly tortured coworkers.
This is my dream vacation . . .
http://www.terragalleria.com/europe/italy/amalfi-coast/amalfi-coast.html
Shortly before the day(s) off, I make sure everything is perfectly organized, lesson plans are impeccably designed, and I actually clean off my desk. Then I try to avoid the "coverees" because it’s agonizing to see their forced smiles and pained looks as they say, "Everything will be okay. I’m fine. Really." HA. I don’t believe them!
I always get a nagging feeling when I return back to my classroom that the previous day was sheer pandemonium. It’s as though a big cloud of bad karma is still hovering in the air. After my guilt-ridden day off, I see the "coverees" in the halls looking slightly rumpled and exhausted, nodding their heads saying, "I don’t know how you do it." Neither do I. I need a vacation.
Thank goodness for understanding, but slightly tortured coworkers.
This is my dream vacation . . .
http://www.terragalleria.com/europe/italy/amalfi-coast/amalfi-coast.html
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