After Reading. . .

1.  Choose one of the following prompts.  Construct an extended and complete response (as defined by you) to the prompt.  Each prompt will ask you to "connect your response to your text".  The spirit of this instruction is that you should construct your response in such a way that it is clear that the author is someone who read your book of choice.

A.  After reading this book, how has your definition of success (with regards to student learning) changed?  What goals for your students do you now have that did not occur to you before?  How do you plan on reaching those goals?  Connect your responses to your text.

B.  How do you know when you are successful in the classroom?  How do you know when your students are successful?  What concrete behaviors are needed on both you and your student's parts to achieve success?  What are the things you do that get in the way of your success?  What are the things students do that get in the way of their success?  Connect your responses to your text.

C.  Create a checklist for lesson planning or instruction based on your text.  Highlight two or three components of your checklist and connect them to your text.

D.  Recount an experience you had in your classroom that you now see differently or that you would respond to differently as a result of reading your book of choice.  Include in your account how your thinking has changed.  What difference will this change in thinking make going forward? Connect your responses to your text.

E.  Not every book meets our expectations.  If your book did not, then what was missing?  What questions do you have that the author did not address.  Connect your responses to your text.

F.   Use a site like SoundCloud to record yourself reading and reflecting on a few key passages from your text.  Include in your reflection why you have chosen that particular passage and describe the impact it had on you and/or your understanding of thinking and learning.

G.   Find an artifact (pictures, clips, quotes, etc.)  that represent four different ideas presented in your book of choice (you will have four artifacts total).  Describe how your artifact connects to the idea presented in the text.  Include why you think this idea is important in your description.    

2.  Everyone should complete two of the following stems.  Center your responses around your beliefs and values regarding teaching and/or thinking and/or learning.

A.  "When I consider how I was taught (as a student), the text challenges me to __________________.  This differs from my original conception of teaching in that __________."



B.  "When I consider how I learn, the text challenges me to __________________.  This differs from my original conception of teaching in that _________."



C.  "When I consider my views on teaching and learning, the text supports my position that ____________.  Based on reading this text I will ______.  This is important because ________."



D.  "I disagreed with the author's position on ______ because ______.  Something the author might consider is that ______."


Action Steps:
1.  Respond to one prompt from the first group.
2.  Complete two stems from the second group.
3.  Post