This morning's #edchat about homework got me thinking about how I can better support students in class, specifically when it comes to reading at home. Like many teachers, I believe that reading at home is an important hallmark of the educational experience, and yet I continually find myself struggling with students who are hesitant to read on their own. How can I support these students? One solution I suggested was to hold question and answer sessions on Edmodo or Twitter or Todaysmeet or whatever, at night while the students are reading. I've not tried it (yet), but I think it has some pretty good potential for a few reasons.
First, based on the success I've had with reading to students in class, it seems the students like to have me there in case any questions come up. I figure that by being available online, the students can reach me (or each other) at any time to get those kinds of answers to their questions, which might encourage reluctant readers to read, knowing they have a sort of "safety net" if they get stuck.
Second, since so much of the at-home reading experience is done in isolation, perhaps adding the social element of having either me or their peers available (a sort of virtual lit circle or reading group, depending on how formally the roles are defined) will help them all see how much they have in common regarding their understanding. Of course, as I just typed that last sentence, I can't help but hear the nagging voice in my head tell me that getting students to admit they don't know something is a major obstacle in this plan. Does anyone have experience with this sort of thing?
Third, I think having the option to chat online could change the way that I assess students and hold them accountable for the reading. In other words, if they "show up" for the chat, or post to the stream the night the reading is assigned, that activity can replace what would traditionally be done with a reading quiz the next day. In the end, all I really want is for the students to be reading and understanding what they read. In the past, one of the only tools I've had to hold students accountable for the activity of reading and for checking how well they understood the reading was a quiz the next day. If the kids get something wrong on that quiz, they either look like they didn't read, or they didn't understand. It's so punitive. With having a chat at night, however, I can see that they were encountering the material and seeking understanding, which is all I really want. Sure, there's no guarantee that they're actually doing the reading, but I would like to think if there's enough positive support around the activity of reading, maybe they'll be more likely to do it.
Fourth, I think the students want to read, but they get stuck, so they turn to the Web (Sparknotes, etc.) for info. While the Web is a good resource for information, I still can't help but cringe when students use book summaries as a substitute for the works themselves. I would hope by making reading at home a more social experience, perhaps they will be encouraged to participate more actively in making meaning of the reading (and strengthening their own comprehension skills, not to mention contributing to the community of the classroom), it will also push students to read the real texts.
Has anyone tried this? Any suggestions about the kind of tools best suited for this kind of thing? Does it provide any benefits? I'd be grateful for any insight.
