| This is a case study of four teachers in different | | | | As a teacher educator, I am currently |
| contexts. Therefore, generalization is not possible. | | | | restructuring my course to focus on the essential |
| However, looking across the cases is suggestive | | | | questions each preservice teacher must ask him |
| of some recommendations for the educational | | | | or herself, such as: If reading empowers and |
| community. | | | | enfranchises individuals, what is my responsibility |
| With the prevalence of technology as a possible | | | | as a content area teacher to ensure that my |
| source of information and middle and high school | | | | students are empowered and enfranchised? What |
| students' facility with technology, the notion of the | | | | does content area literacy look like in my |
| textbook is rapidly becoming outdated. Recent | | | | discipline? What will be required of me to ensure |
| research indicates that content area teachers are | | | | that a variety of content area texts in multiple |
| moving from a single textbook focus to using | | | | genres are accessible and comprehensible to all of |
| multiple texts to teach content (Walker & Bean, | | | | my students? How can I take advantage of the |
| 2005). While many teachers currently use | | | | new literacies to engage my students in meaning |
| textbooks as reference tools only, many districts | | | | making? I am placing less emphasis on strategies |
| are developing pacing Tag Heuer Replica Watches | | | | per se and more emphasis on assessment of |
| guides based on textbooks. These two notions | | | | students' reading abilities and the fit between |
| seem diametrically opposed. Given the ranges of | | | | those abilities and text. I am searching for ways |
| students' reading abilities and language | | | | to affect student teachers' mindsets so that |
| fluency—and our understanding of adolescent | | | | reading strategies are implemented as learning |
| literacy—time might be better spent developing | | | | tools, not teaching tools (Conley, 2008). Finally, I |
| multiple text sets. These would provide students | | | | provide opportunities for student teachers to |
| with multiple entries to learning and would | | | | create multiple text sets for use in constructivist |
| encourage critical reading and discourse. | | | | and inquiry-based ways (Walker & Bean, 2005). |
| None of the participants were aware of any | | | | On the first day of class, I always ask for a raise |
| articulated school wide plan for literacy. And none | | | | of hands of those who plan to teach English, |
| of the administrators or mentors talked with the | | | | history, math, science, art, and Tag Heuer Replica |
| first-year teachers about how to deal with | | | | music. Students eagerly raise their hands as their |
| multiple reading abilities and, the language fluency | | | | content area is called out. When I ask who plans |
| of their students. New teachers are often | | | | to teach reading, not a hand is raised. At the end |
| overwhelmed in their first "real" job and quickly | | | | of the course, when 1 ask the question again, |
| adapt to the culture and climate of their new | | | | while there are always a few holdouts that |
| school, often leaving learned practices and the | | | | believe all students should be able to read when |
| discourse of the preservice program behind. More | | | | they get to middle and high school, most of the |
| discussion and modeling by administrators and | | | | students raise their hands. I want to make sure |
| mentors is needed—not only of actual practice | | | | that if I were able to ask that question a year |
| but also the thinking around the practices of | | | | later, I would see those same hands and maybe |
| informal assessment and embedding reading | | | | even more. |
| strategies within content area lessons. | | | | |