ReviewThis book is packed with a ton of information. The book opened with helpful definitions to orient the reader with the ideas of inquiry, literacy, and service in the classroom just in case they were not aware of what they were or how the authors were going to be referring to them as. These definitions and the examples that accompanied them provided an excellent scaffold in and out of each detailed unit, essential question, project, etc. that the authors described. I killed several highlighters while reading this book just because I wanted to note and remember all of the excellent concepts, unit plans, essential questions, etc. moving forward. Jeffrey Wilhelm and the authors are all Teacher Consultants for the Boise State Writing Project, and their passion for teaching with inquiry, literacy, and service are very present on every page of the book. Because I read this during my Summer Institute at the Red Cedar Writing Project, I felt an instant bond with these teachers and could see their thought process with the lens of the National Writing Project. This book is Exceptional because it provides the reader with a new approach to teaching, while still being adaptable across grade levels and content areas. As I mentioned before, the book is packed, and at times overwhelming. Jeffrey and the rest of the authors seemed to do everything so fluidly in their classrooms that it made the thought of implementation very daunting, especially for a first year teacher. Classroom ImplicationsThis whole book implies and includes the classroom. I felt the authors did a great job chunking up chapters by the types of service that can be accomplished through this approach.
So What?Out of these chapters, I believe "Service to School" is an important service to focus on because school is often viewed as a place where students have to be rather than a place they want to be. Wilhelm says, “schools need to be places that students find not only safe, but also engaging, significant, and fun” and where they can “engage in personally and socially significant work with other people that they could not do on their own” (59). The chapter focuses on several examples of how students can engage with projects focused on service to their schools. The first project has students becoming “actual historians” as they conduct primary research and explore the multiple aspects that have shaped the history and culture of the school. Both a third space is created and service is provided to the larger community by discovering aspects of the school’s history that may not be known. Through students’ work in their school, whether conducting historical research or transforming school culture, students and their teachers become democratic citizens. Wilhelm et al uses Todd DeStigter’s definition of “democracy” to further the democratic citizens point. DeStigter defined democracy as “a way of interacting with others by which all people have the desire, ability, and opportunity to participate in shaping their individual and collective lives” (64). Continuing the ConversationDo you implement inquiry, literacy, and/or service into your classroom? What projects or units have been the most effective in terms of service? Feel free to comment below!
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The Avalanche of Books
As an educator and avid reader, I am constantly hearing about books. I feel like I am being chased by a giant, rolling avalanche of titles and authors. Rating System
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December 2017
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