The use of Literature in the
Classroom
By Richard Patao
Expectations
At first…
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Incorporating literature = yes
Hope teachers do this
Age-old problem
Do Teachers use it?
Questionnaire
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What are your beliefs/philosophies about
using/teaching/incorporating literature in the
classroom?
What goals/criteria drive your selection and
usage of certain texts? What do you want to
accomplish with those texts?
What constraints exist when you’re trying to
incorporate literature in your classroom?
Results
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2 responses received
Response 1 Philosophy
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“My personal belief and philosophy are
out of sync with current curricula
practices.”
“Also, due to DRAMA becoming
separate from literature, it appears that
not all students will have equal
opportunity to fully experience aspects
of literature.”
Response 1 Goals
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“Too difficult to answer - The texts are
already decided for us. (We) have little
input as classroom teacher.”
Response 1 Constraints
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“The curriculum”
Response 2 Philosophy
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“I pick a topic or theme to deal with and
explore, and then I use texts to
underline or to examine the theme.”
“I want students to THINK, and I use
texts to help them think, to see others’
sides of an argument, and to reform
their opinions.”
Response 2 Goals
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“I pick texts to contrast with what they
already know or believe.”
Response 2 Constraints
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“Kids don’t read”
“The school doesn’t have enough
copies to check out”
What does this mean?
Conclusions
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Response 1: pressures of curriculum
“When curricula are written outside the school
setting, the role of the teacher in the curriculumdevelopment process becomes an issue” (Shkedi
719).
Advocates drama and literature
Conclusions (cont.)
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Response 2: relevant critical analysis
“This growing body of research indicates that when
students become cognizant of using a theoretical
lens as a strategy for constructing meaning from text,
they can begin to further question the cultural and
ideological influences at work in a text, as well as the
influence of their own values and beliefs in this
transaction” (Eckert 113).
Text to open doors
Works Cited
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Eckert, Lisa Schade. “Bridging the Pedagogical Gap: Intersections Between
Literary and Reading Theories in Secondary and Postsecondary Literacy
Instruction.” Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 52.2 (2008): 110-118.
Education Research Complete. Web. 10 May 2012.
<http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/ehost/detail?sid=fa003c71-6bb444ad-9e06ef5435c03805%40sessionmgr13&vid=1&hid=18&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3Qtb
Gl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ehh&AN=34775907>.
Shkedi, Asher. "Curriculum And Teachers: An Encounter Of Languages And
Literatures." Journal Of Curriculum Studies 38.6 (2006): 719-735. Education
Research Complete. Web. 10 May 2012.
<http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.umuc.edu/ehost/detail?sid=05f8cff6-4ce2436c-bb81dc98da5b064f%40sessionmgr12&vid=1&hid=18&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3Qtb
Gl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ehh&AN=23311394>.