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February 15 , 2005 |
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access to journal articles and book excerpts mentioned in this Inbox
is provided for 21 days. After this free access period expires, articles
are available to journal subscribers only. |
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Honoring the Life of Louise Rosenblatt
in Our Classrooms In her "Literature--SOS!" (G) from Literacy through Language Arts: Teaching and Learning in Context (E-M), Louise Rosenblatt asks us to think about public and private aspects of the meaning of texts through a discussion of aesthetic and efferent reading. She reminds us that "what is at stake is each child's total school experience--in speech, reading, and writing--with what is termed "literature," or "the aesthetic." In the face of pressures about what we teach and how we teach it, we can perhaps best pay to Rosenblatt by remembering her message and using her ideas to shape the activities in our classrooms. The Language Arts article "Theory in Practice: The Legacy of Louise Rosenblatt" (E) celebrates Rosenblatt's significant contributions by describing how students and teachers engage in authentic dialogue around literature. In the Voices from the Middle article "Visual Responses to YAL That Encourage Higher Level Thinking" (M-S), students respond aesthetically to literature in a book report alternative that goes far beyond your typical, efferent plot summary. The article "Creating Connections: Challenging the Text and Student Writers" (S) from English Journal discusses why and how teachers can use writing-to-learn techniques in the study of literature to promote enjoyment, understanding, and imagination. The article explains specific aesthetic responses that link reading and writing as well as responses that incorporate technology. Read "Liberating Students through Reader-Response Pedagogy in the Introductory Literature Course" (C) from Teaching English in the Two-Year College to explore a reader-response approach that focuses on activities that liberate students and increase their involvement. The Teaching English in the Two-Year College article "How Does a Reader Make a Poem Meaningful? Reader-Response Theory and the Poetry Portfolio" (S-C) describes how a reader-response approach can help students construct a portfolio of readings that reflects their development as poetry readers. Finally, watch for the March 2005 Voices from the Middle, an entire issue dedicated to honoring the life and work of Rosenblatt. See details below in the Announcements section.
NOTE: Free access to journal articles mentioned in this Inbox is provided
for 21 days. After this free access period expires, articles are available
to journal subscribers only. This Inbox Idea was published 02-15-2005. |
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