Before beginning, may I give a shout out and “ALL POINTS!” to Dr. Kim Jaxon!! The first time I took Eng 341 my professor made it so boring I ended up quitting half way through the semester. Dr. Jaxon kept our future students and classrooms in mind. Constantly asking us to consider the future, instead of forcing us to reside in the now with tests and mundane course work.

Considering all the reading, time and community building this term, I am walking away personally fulfilled and that much more prepared for my future classroom. Before this course I considered myself a ok reader. But now, owning and learned from Reading in the Wild has shown me how to set realistic strategic reading goals. I am now able to hold myself and my future students accountable for all dimensions of reading. Reading books, articles, and viewing pedagogical videos has helped guide my understanding to reach all students and aspects of reading comprehension in the classroom. 

I have learned that it is very important to be able to help students self select literature that develop them personally. Expoloring so many literary genres includuding short stories, fairy tales, novels, poetry, and drama I have a better understanding and appreciation for reading and types of writting styles. I loved choosing my own adventure and researching what books to decide on reading this semster. It was a great way to engage in the curiculumn and foreshadow the path I would take during the term. I believe if this startagy was implemented  at younger ages, students would not only want to read what they are “assigned” but also become the wild readers we want them to. Not all students will engage, relate or see story plots through the same lense.

“The challenges lay within the students themselves. A love for reading must be cultivated and kept up with. Building reading confidence through experience and classroom community stimulates positive reading culture. Each individual student should be guided at their pace, practicing more often than not to ensure by the end of the school year everyone will be at the same rate of reading. I am most excited about showing students how to transport themselves through text. Providing a classroom that looks at the details of a story, beneath the surface ideas and notions the author hides for only those who take the time to think about it. Practice is key!”- Myself from Blog V.

Unlike some of my classmates, I enjoyed the end of class read aloud. If it were done consistently, more would have appreciated it. I have really enjoyed Kissing the Witch and the fairy tale genre. I love history, digging deeper into a topic I generally avoided because of todays influences on the topic, really did change my perspective. Inverstigating so many versions of these tales with the modern day spin as background knowlegde was really awesome to see what fairy tales have developed into today. I hope you do not cut this section out. I believe that some did not like this section because now they see where their “happily ever after” derived from. Or it was a ton of reading the same story and they got bored, so possibly just pick the best two or three : ) I enjoyed The Classic Fairy Tales by Maria Tatar.

Thank you for this educational semester! See you in the news Dr.! Congratulations on all your success this semster, respect.

1. This is a very serious text that helps and allows readers to either relate or understand loss and poverty.

2. I lost my father at a young age. I was in the fourth grade. I was able to relate to the main character and this allowed me to think about which students would want or need to read this book. I was reminded of A Walk Two Moons By Sharon Creech. Counting By 7’s message to me was be who you are and love what you do, life may send you struggles. But what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!

3. The books underlying assumptions of children is that children are powerful. The main character keeps adults in the story on their toes and usually put them in their place with medical research to back her. I share this idea with the novel, children have a raw un-jaded power about them. They have an honest resolve and challenge whatever they feel passionately about.

4. This book is definitely realistic, it does not cover up real struggles some families fave. Underemployment, poverty, and the power of knowledge. These realistic aspects are very believable, being from and underprivileged family I could relate to Willow’s foster family. I did not expect such a heavy plot, but this did not affect the way I approached the novel.

5. As I said earlier I was reminded of Sharon Creech’s novels often dealing with struggle, death, and coming into maturity. It supports those who need a solid novel to relate to during a time of struggle.

6. Counting By 7’s is something students who are not facing struggle should read because as human beings we must be able to relate and understand the struggle some face on the daily. Fostering compassion and respect for others who may seem “different” is a trait some must learn because it does not come natural. This novel could help those students who are privileged with a perspective into struggle and over coming a big set back. Here are some of my favorite quotes to support my thoughts.

“For someone grieving, moving forward is the challenge. Because after extreme loss, you want to go back.”

“[T]he deepest form of pain comes out as silence.”

“It’s possible that all labels are curses. Unless they are on cleaning products.”

Overall Claims by Versaci-tool and McCloud are both useful sources for future teachers. Versaci-tool points out that these tools introduce learners to formal study of literature. Aside from engagement, comic books also help to develop analytical and much needed critical thinking skills. Graphic novels suggest and allow students to think more or differently about artistic value and how it adds depth to storyline.  McCloud a cartoonist who loves science believes in the visual magic of comics. McCloud is a “scientific mind” working in the art realm of education through comics. One of the most important things about comics is that they are a visual medium that try to embrace all of the senses within it! What a stimulating subject and spin on reading literature!! Different elements such as words, symbols and visuals in between are all funneled through the same conduit of vision. Language and visuals are valued and represented realistically or abstractly to readers. Calling upon students to recognize familiar symbols or icons and as they read through spaces, they move through time. Media provides a re-entrance to a world through multiple windows. When this is provided it allows people to triangulate the world we live in and see its shape. It would be wonderful to read a graphic novel as a class and then have them finish or make a prequel to the plot along with illustrations.

Being a visual learner, I gravitated and read graphic novels as a child. Captain Underpants was a favorite. This genre study did not change the way I read but did inspire using them in my future class as a tool. I would have never considered this as an topic. However I fell graphic novels would reach and interest the whole student base, even the non-readers.

Reading graphic novels compared to other course content this semester was a blast. Again I was able to consider a subject that would be immensely helpful for more than just one topic of study. Students will be able to appreciate or understand the use of artistic symbolism and value of depth. The feeling that they would not have achieved from simply reading a text.

1. Williams reflects on the significant sight of good ole hard work. The wheelbarrow signifies a beautiful resting tool that is capable of so much. He is forced to take a break because of the rain. Storms are a necessity of farming life. Always unwilling to put our feet up, we relish in the weather break enjoying the given chance to. There is always work to be done!

2. So much depends upon

the barco pirata sailing clear across

the wildest scapes of mi corazon.