Jim Asher's Blog, page 4
June 15, 2012
Using Poetry for PD for Teachers
I am an administrator at a middle school near Charlottesville, Virginia, and an on-going focus at some of our faculty meetings has been "culturally relevant teaching" (i.e., using the cultural knowledge, prior experiences and performance styles of diverse students to make learning more appropriate and effective; teaching to the strengths of the students).
At one of the meetings I presented E. E. Cummings' poem "old age sticks” (that poem and my approach for leading a discussion on it is noted in my Goodreads.com blog entry dated June 13, 2012). Following the discussion of the poem, I showed a picture of a rather complicated Venn diagram, and we had additional discussion about the numerous and complex factors involved with establishing and maintaining positive relationships with students:
• Age
• Race
• Heritage
• Gender
• Economic Class
• Residence
• Social Class
• Affiliation
• Level of Education
• Language
• Dress
• Music
• Interests
• Etc., Etc., Etc.
Next, I displayed four quotes by E. E. Cummings:
1. To be nobody but yourself in a world that’s doing its best to make you somebody else is to fight the hardest battle you are ever going to fight.
2. It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.
3. We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit.
4. I would rather learn from one bird how to sing than to teach 10,000 stars how not to dance.
Teachers then broke into groups of four to discuss each of the quotes. For each, they were to consider the following:
A. Regarding the meaning of each quote, what is the implication for teachers and their delivery of instruction?
B. Which specific student(s) could they associate with each of the quotes?
Following the group work, we reconvened as a faculty to consider the individual students that the teacher groups discussed in relation to the four Cumming’s quotes – and finally in relation to one other quote, this time from Howard Gardner: “The biggest mistake of past centuries in teaching has been to treat all children as if they were variants of the same individual and thus to feel justified in teaching them all the same subjects the same way.”
I’ll post additional information about how I’ve used poetry with profession development in future blog entries, and for more on curiosity/wonder (see quote #3 above), see my blog post dated June 9, 2012.
At one of the meetings I presented E. E. Cummings' poem "old age sticks” (that poem and my approach for leading a discussion on it is noted in my Goodreads.com blog entry dated June 13, 2012). Following the discussion of the poem, I showed a picture of a rather complicated Venn diagram, and we had additional discussion about the numerous and complex factors involved with establishing and maintaining positive relationships with students:
• Age
• Race
• Heritage
• Gender
• Economic Class
• Residence
• Social Class
• Affiliation
• Level of Education
• Language
• Dress
• Music
• Interests
• Etc., Etc., Etc.
Next, I displayed four quotes by E. E. Cummings:
1. To be nobody but yourself in a world that’s doing its best to make you somebody else is to fight the hardest battle you are ever going to fight.
2. It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.
3. We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit.
4. I would rather learn from one bird how to sing than to teach 10,000 stars how not to dance.
Teachers then broke into groups of four to discuss each of the quotes. For each, they were to consider the following:
A. Regarding the meaning of each quote, what is the implication for teachers and their delivery of instruction?
B. Which specific student(s) could they associate with each of the quotes?
Following the group work, we reconvened as a faculty to consider the individual students that the teacher groups discussed in relation to the four Cumming’s quotes – and finally in relation to one other quote, this time from Howard Gardner: “The biggest mistake of past centuries in teaching has been to treat all children as if they were variants of the same individual and thus to feel justified in teaching them all the same subjects the same way.”
I’ll post additional information about how I’ve used poetry with profession development in future blog entries, and for more on curiosity/wonder (see quote #3 above), see my blog post dated June 9, 2012.
June 13, 2012
Teaching Poetry -- Part 2
In a blog entry on June 11, 2012, I wrote about how I introduce poetry to students with “l(a,” a poem by E. E. Cummings. After I cover “l(a” with them, they are always eager for more poetry, and they are especially eager for more Cummings. I generally follow-up with Cummings’ “old age sticks,” and kids love interpreting the meaning and implications of the poem:
old age sticks
up Keep
Off
signs)&
youth yanks them
down(old
age cries No
Tres)&(pas)
youth laughs
(sing
old age
scolds Forbid
den Stop
Must
n't Don't
&)youth goes
right on
gr
owing old
Before I begin any discussion of the poem, though, I set the stage by explaining that there are TWO VERY IMPORTANT WORDS in the poem – TWO WORDS that elevate the poem beyond its fundamental meaning. Then we start the conversation.
Of course, students quickly pick up on the aspects of the poem that convey old age versus youth, and it’s always fun to discuss generational differences (especially with examinations of music, dance, clothing, hair styles, trends, fads, and so on). Particularly astute students notice that all of the language in the poem representing “old age” is confined within parentheses while the words representing “youth” are not.
After we examine the words, the mechanics and the structure of the poem, I remind them about the TWO VERY IMPORTANT WORDS– and the students try to figure out what I’m talking about. We examine their ideas, and then I underline what I think are the TWO VERY IMPORTANT WORDS: “owing old” – taken from the words “growing old” in the final two lines of the poem.
I explain that while there are always generational differences and that teenagers always rebel and stretch the limits, they really “owe” those who came before them: What past musicians influenced the styles of current musicians? What past artists paved the way for the work of contemporary artists? What historical thinkers opened doors for the ideas of modern-day thinkers?
Yes, there are always generational gaps and rifts – but youth “goes right on growing old” – just as we are all always “owing old.”
old age sticks
up Keep
Off
signs)&
youth yanks them
down(old
age cries No
Tres)&(pas)
youth laughs
(sing
old age
scolds Forbid
den Stop
Must
n't Don't
&)youth goes
right on
gr
owing old
Before I begin any discussion of the poem, though, I set the stage by explaining that there are TWO VERY IMPORTANT WORDS in the poem – TWO WORDS that elevate the poem beyond its fundamental meaning. Then we start the conversation.
Of course, students quickly pick up on the aspects of the poem that convey old age versus youth, and it’s always fun to discuss generational differences (especially with examinations of music, dance, clothing, hair styles, trends, fads, and so on). Particularly astute students notice that all of the language in the poem representing “old age” is confined within parentheses while the words representing “youth” are not.
After we examine the words, the mechanics and the structure of the poem, I remind them about the TWO VERY IMPORTANT WORDS– and the students try to figure out what I’m talking about. We examine their ideas, and then I underline what I think are the TWO VERY IMPORTANT WORDS: “owing old” – taken from the words “growing old” in the final two lines of the poem.
I explain that while there are always generational differences and that teenagers always rebel and stretch the limits, they really “owe” those who came before them: What past musicians influenced the styles of current musicians? What past artists paved the way for the work of contemporary artists? What historical thinkers opened doors for the ideas of modern-day thinkers?
Yes, there are always generational gaps and rifts – but youth “goes right on growing old” – just as we are all always “owing old.”
June 11, 2012
Teaching Poetry
“l(a” by E. E. Cummings is the poem I use most often to get students excited about poetry:
l(a
le
af
fa
ll
s)
one
l
iness
Here’s what I do: I write the poem on the board; I ask for volunteers to read it; I observe their confused expressions; and I watch the “aha” moments on their faces as they begin to make out familiar words. “Leaf.” “A leaf.” “A leaf falls.” Finally, with a little more work, they put together the entire poem.
At that point I ask them why Cummings didn’t just simply write the poem in two lines:
Loneliness.
A leaf falls.
It doesn’t take long for some of them to suggest that the structure of the poem indicates the path of the leaf, and for others to suggest that the form of the poem represents the number “1.” “What about ‘iness’ in the last line of the peom?” I ask. “Why didn’t Cummings just continue the letters in a vertical column?” They propose that the final line represents the leaf resting on the ground.
Then we look at how the poem suggests loneliness in other ways:
Line 1: The letter “l,” which looks like the number “1,” is separated from the single article “a.”
Line 7: The word “one”
Line 8: The letter “l” looks like the number “1.”
The students also note that the final line, “iness,” could represent “I-ness,” or the concept of being “I” (and being alone) – and when combined with the lines that come before it, a notion of “one-liness.”
Students always get excited about this poem. They appreciate the uncomplicated metaphor of the concrete falling leaf and how it represents the abstract concept of loneliness. They love the simple yet complex and creative ways the poem “works.”
Finally, there is another but equally important lesson in examining this poem: students learn to consider something that is foreign to them from the start, instead of just dismissing it as “stupid.” We talk about appreciating — and reflecting upon the meaning of — the work of an artist when the meaning isn’t immediately or entirely obvious.
After struggling a bit and then succeeding with “l(a,” the students are ready to move on — and they are always hungry for more Cummings!
l(a
le
af
fa
ll
s)
one
l
iness
Here’s what I do: I write the poem on the board; I ask for volunteers to read it; I observe their confused expressions; and I watch the “aha” moments on their faces as they begin to make out familiar words. “Leaf.” “A leaf.” “A leaf falls.” Finally, with a little more work, they put together the entire poem.
At that point I ask them why Cummings didn’t just simply write the poem in two lines:
Loneliness.
A leaf falls.
It doesn’t take long for some of them to suggest that the structure of the poem indicates the path of the leaf, and for others to suggest that the form of the poem represents the number “1.” “What about ‘iness’ in the last line of the peom?” I ask. “Why didn’t Cummings just continue the letters in a vertical column?” They propose that the final line represents the leaf resting on the ground.
Then we look at how the poem suggests loneliness in other ways:
Line 1: The letter “l,” which looks like the number “1,” is separated from the single article “a.”
Line 7: The word “one”
Line 8: The letter “l” looks like the number “1.”
The students also note that the final line, “iness,” could represent “I-ness,” or the concept of being “I” (and being alone) – and when combined with the lines that come before it, a notion of “one-liness.”
Students always get excited about this poem. They appreciate the uncomplicated metaphor of the concrete falling leaf and how it represents the abstract concept of loneliness. They love the simple yet complex and creative ways the poem “works.”
Finally, there is another but equally important lesson in examining this poem: students learn to consider something that is foreign to them from the start, instead of just dismissing it as “stupid.” We talk about appreciating — and reflecting upon the meaning of — the work of an artist when the meaning isn’t immediately or entirely obvious.
After struggling a bit and then succeeding with “l(a,” the students are ready to move on — and they are always hungry for more Cummings!
June 9, 2012
Wonder
One of my favorites of Dickinson’s poems is # 1331 in which she describes the essence of curiosity in the first two lines:
Wonder — is not precisely Knowing
And not precisely Knowing not —
She then goes on to identify this as “A beautiful but bleak condition.”
I reflect on these lines often with teachers as we debate and discuss how to keep a child’s sense of curiosity and wonder alive, especially as they transition from elementary to middle school and from middle school to high school. Not knowing something can be a “bleak condition” (and perhaps a key reason for a child’s misbehavior in class?); however, with an enthusiastic approach and through engaging lessons, a teacher can preserve the “beautiful” and engrossing aspects of the unknown for a child—so that the learning becomes irresistible and the lesson becomes meaningful and relevant.
Tech-savvy teachers can certainly provide such irresistible learning through project based learning where students collaborate in real-life endeavors and become producers and publishers of work that is literally shared with the world. Of course, through authentic, tech-based work on projects, students can also learn how to deal with and solve problems with technology as they encounter issues – and this lead me to the idea for my parody of Dickinson’s poem (in my book Great American Poems – REPOEMED). My parody opens with the following lines:
Windows is not precisely Working
And not precisely Working not—
An essential but bleak condition
I am a firm believer in Murphy’s Law, so I always tell my students that they need to be prepared to deal with any unknown problem— and with technology, there are times when Murphy goes a little overboard with his law. Students need to be able to think creatively and to solve problems logically when faced with unknown issues as they arise, and what better training than with real-life applications and experiences?
This idea brings me back to Dickinson’s poem: in the opening line of the second stanza she states that, “Suspense — is his (i.e., Wonder’s) maturer Sister.” Students do need to retain their sense of wonder, but they also have to be able to solve suspenseful problems. Yes, problems can create a “bleak condition,” but through effective instruction, teachers can transform a bleak outlook to something “beautiful.”
Wonder — is not precisely Knowing
And not precisely Knowing not —
She then goes on to identify this as “A beautiful but bleak condition.”
I reflect on these lines often with teachers as we debate and discuss how to keep a child’s sense of curiosity and wonder alive, especially as they transition from elementary to middle school and from middle school to high school. Not knowing something can be a “bleak condition” (and perhaps a key reason for a child’s misbehavior in class?); however, with an enthusiastic approach and through engaging lessons, a teacher can preserve the “beautiful” and engrossing aspects of the unknown for a child—so that the learning becomes irresistible and the lesson becomes meaningful and relevant.
Tech-savvy teachers can certainly provide such irresistible learning through project based learning where students collaborate in real-life endeavors and become producers and publishers of work that is literally shared with the world. Of course, through authentic, tech-based work on projects, students can also learn how to deal with and solve problems with technology as they encounter issues – and this lead me to the idea for my parody of Dickinson’s poem (in my book Great American Poems – REPOEMED). My parody opens with the following lines:
Windows is not precisely Working
And not precisely Working not—
An essential but bleak condition
I am a firm believer in Murphy’s Law, so I always tell my students that they need to be prepared to deal with any unknown problem— and with technology, there are times when Murphy goes a little overboard with his law. Students need to be able to think creatively and to solve problems logically when faced with unknown issues as they arise, and what better training than with real-life applications and experiences?
This idea brings me back to Dickinson’s poem: in the opening line of the second stanza she states that, “Suspense — is his (i.e., Wonder’s) maturer Sister.” Students do need to retain their sense of wonder, but they also have to be able to solve suspenseful problems. Yes, problems can create a “bleak condition,” but through effective instruction, teachers can transform a bleak outlook to something “beautiful.”
June 6, 2012
New to Goodreads
I'm new to Goodreads. I have no followers at this time, so who knows if or when anyone will see this -- but here goes!
My new book, "Great American Poems - REPOEMED," features poetry of Dickinson, Cummings, and Frost -- so I'll start with some lines from these three poets.
First, in "What Fifty Said," Frost opened his poem with the following:
When I was young my teachers were the old.
I gave up fire for form till I was cold.
I suffered like a metal being cast.
I went to school to age to learn the past.
As an educator, I find these lines quite depressing since the speaker (i.e. the student) had to give up "fire for form" due to a traditional approach of teachers presenting mind-numbing content in an uninspiring fashion. I hope that this is the exception rather the rule these days since students have access to digital technologies that allow them to be producers, publishers, audience, and reviewers in global collaborations.
Of course, Emily Dickinson wrote "This is my letter to the world." I suspect if she were alive today, the poem would, instead, read as follows:
This is my Twitter to the #world
So please retweet for me—
With simple news and pithy quips—
A social Tapestry.
My message is transmitted
To Tweeps I cannot see;
And I would love to follow you
If you would follow me!
Even Cummings said "to hell with literature" in his poem "let's start a magazine." He wanted something "...redblooded /
lousy with pure
reeking with stark
and fearlessly obscene."
Certainly Cummings would have loved the digital age-- talk about "reeking with stark" (and yes, "fearlessly obscene"). I wonder how he would have stretched the limits of poetry if he had had more than a typewriter? I suspect his poem "let's start a magazine" would have started something more like...
"let’s start up google+
to hell with Facebook
we want something redhot"
Frost ended "What Fifty Said" with the following lines:
Now I am old my teachers are the young.
What can't be molded must be cracked and sprung.
I strain at lessons fit to start a suture.
I go to school to youth to learn the future.
I appreciate Frost's acknowledgement that, at fifty, he went "to youth to learn the future." I think if he, Cummings and Dickinson were alive today, they'd be "graced with guts and gutted with grace" (Cummings' words) in every sort of social media and digital device available.
They would all be writing more than letters to the world.
My new book, "Great American Poems - REPOEMED," features poetry of Dickinson, Cummings, and Frost -- so I'll start with some lines from these three poets.
First, in "What Fifty Said," Frost opened his poem with the following:
When I was young my teachers were the old.
I gave up fire for form till I was cold.
I suffered like a metal being cast.
I went to school to age to learn the past.
As an educator, I find these lines quite depressing since the speaker (i.e. the student) had to give up "fire for form" due to a traditional approach of teachers presenting mind-numbing content in an uninspiring fashion. I hope that this is the exception rather the rule these days since students have access to digital technologies that allow them to be producers, publishers, audience, and reviewers in global collaborations.
Of course, Emily Dickinson wrote "This is my letter to the world." I suspect if she were alive today, the poem would, instead, read as follows:
This is my Twitter to the #world
So please retweet for me—
With simple news and pithy quips—
A social Tapestry.
My message is transmitted
To Tweeps I cannot see;
And I would love to follow you
If you would follow me!
Even Cummings said "to hell with literature" in his poem "let's start a magazine." He wanted something "...redblooded /
lousy with pure
reeking with stark
and fearlessly obscene."
Certainly Cummings would have loved the digital age-- talk about "reeking with stark" (and yes, "fearlessly obscene"). I wonder how he would have stretched the limits of poetry if he had had more than a typewriter? I suspect his poem "let's start a magazine" would have started something more like...
"let’s start up google+
to hell with Facebook
we want something redhot"
Frost ended "What Fifty Said" with the following lines:
Now I am old my teachers are the young.
What can't be molded must be cracked and sprung.
I strain at lessons fit to start a suture.
I go to school to youth to learn the future.
I appreciate Frost's acknowledgement that, at fifty, he went "to youth to learn the future." I think if he, Cummings and Dickinson were alive today, they'd be "graced with guts and gutted with grace" (Cummings' words) in every sort of social media and digital device available.
They would all be writing more than letters to the world.
