The use of Literature in the Classroom

By Richard Patao

Expectations

At first… Incorporating literature = yes Hope teachers do this Age-old problem

Do Teachers use it?

Questionnaire 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 2 responses received

Response 1 Philosophy “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 “Too difficult to answer - The texts are

already decided for us. (We) have little input as classroom teacher.”

Response 1 Constraints “The curriculum”

Response 2 Philosophy “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 “I pick texts to contrast with what they

already know or believe.”

Response 2 Constraints “Kids don’t read” “The school doesn’t have enough

copies to check out”

What does this mean?

Conclusions Response 1: pressures of curriculum “When curricula are written outside the school

setting, the role of the teacher in the curriculum-development process becomes an issue” (Shkedi 719).

Advocates drama and literature

Conclusions (cont.) 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

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=fa003c71-6bb4-44ad-9e06-ef5435c03805%40sessionmgr13&vid=1&hid=18&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#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=05f8cff6-4ce2-436c-bb81-dc98da5b064f%40sessionmgr12&vid=1&hid=18&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=ehh&AN=23311394>.