"RESPONDING TO BOY READERS A Closer Look at the Role of the Teacher in Dialogue Journals"

Article Title:

"RESPONDING TO BOY READERS A Closer Look at the Role of the Teacher in Dialogue Journals"

Author:
Donna E. Werderich

Permalink:
https://ezproxy.western.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=55006816&site=eds-live 

APA Citation (from WSCU Online Library):
Werderich, D. E. (2010). RESPONDING TO BOY READERS A Closer Look at the Role of the Teacher in Dialogue Journals. Middle Grades Research Journal, 5(2), 91-106.

Summary:
This article revolves around two main concepts: the importance of student response to literature and (additionally) the teacher response and interactive discourse with the student about the material being read and the student's responses to that material. This particular study determines that the educator/teacher plays a total of four different roles as he/she responds to the student's writings. First, the teacher must play the role of a "Reader", or one who models the positive interactions associated with reading, including their own independent reading and responses to reading. Secondly, the teacher plays the role of a "Responder." When a teacher plays this particular role, he/she joins the conversation about the reading (when written or verbal) as a learner, contrary to their "normal" role; they are there to listen to the students and their personal responses to the reading from their own point of view. A third role that a teacher must play is as a "Facilitator"; this particular role is when the teacher needs to facilitate the discussion about literature whether it be in the written form (as in responding in written form to student's journals - a conversation, similar to having a penal, talking about a book  or in the verbal form (in a one-on-one conversation or group discussion). The last and final role that a teacher plays is the "Encourager". In this role, a teacher provides encouraging reposes and remarks whether they be in written or verbal form; this is essential to motivate independent readers to be successful.

"Five Readers Browsing: The Reading Interests of Talented Middle School Boys"

Article Title:

"Five Readers Browsing: The Reading Interests of Talented Middle School Boys"

Author: 

Sean Cavazos-Kottke

Permalink:

https://ezproxy.western.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ743125&site=eds-live 

APA Citation (from WSCU Online Library):

Cavazos-Kottke, S. (2006). Five Readers Browsing: The Reading Interests of Talented Middle School Boys. Gifted Child Quarterly, 50(2), 132-147.

Summary:

This article is a study administered to five different middle school leveled, gifted/talented male readers. The study is again, promoting the power and influence of student self-choice and honoring those choices within the curriculum of the school to empower intrinsic motivation to read; it follows, interviews, and analyzes the findings of the five different boys' various choices of novels during a trip to a bookstore.  The research study, again, proved that popular fiction was the top choice among the middle school leveled boy. Overall, this study was to enlighten educators on the interests of middle school boys reading choices, when given opportunity to chose their novel selection. Additionally, the study explains and encourages educators/teachers to allow students to self-select what they read, incorporate the independent reading choices into an interpersonal discourse within the classroom environment, and honor the wide variety of student interests within the student pool.

Update on Research #2

Over the past several months, I feel that I have been doing a pretty good job at researching and creating a collection of information and resources that are tied to my particular research topic: intrinsically motivating middle school boys in their reading classes. I have found a multitude of sources that speak on the reading performance gap between boys and girls; I have also found thousands of pieces that will state "YES! This is a problem", but I have a difficulty trying to find any information on how to really solve or curb this issue from continuing to worsen over time. One would think that with such a major issue around the globe that there would be more information available, but I am really struggling to gather much information on the solution side of the equation versus the problem side. Additionally, I feel restricted as we have already submitted our HRC Proposals and will be unable to change much of our future processes in instruction to those who will be participation in our Action Research in the next upcoming months. For instance, I found a great article on incorporating the use of Multiple Intelligences, but I am pretty sure that I am unable to adjust what I had originally planned out and explained in my HRC Proposal. I was under the assumption that we were not allowed to make ANY changes, and this has me a little worried when it comes to gathering information and relaying that information in a 25-40 page piece of writing, explaining my findings.

Additionally, I have not been as diligent in the detailing of my research as I had originally planned when I started the blog. As stated earlier, I feel that I have been able to collect a fair amount of research, but the summarizing and uploading of links to my blog has not been as much of a priority throughout my research process as it may have needed to be. I have only completed a portion of what I have ought to by this point in time, and realize that I need to start demonstrating that I have been completing my research as assigned in the class expectations. Although I have been reading and collecting and collecting and reading, there has been little demonstration on my part (uploading to the blog).