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Group: Claudia Arancibia, Felipe Arancibia, Paula Barrera, Diego Belmar, Camila Pérez & Anabel Tello.
Text: "7 Rules of Engagement--Whats Most Important to Know about Motivation to Read" by Linda B. Gambrell (2011).

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All the other texts seemed interesting, however, I chose this one (its name is in the "References" section) because I wanted to know more about how to motivate adolescents to read in English (and read in general). Based on my own personal experience as high school student and teacher in training, I can acknowledge that it can be difficult to make teenagers to be active English learners. Nonetheless, I believe in the abilities that every student has so the key is to encourage them, in this case, to read more in innovative ways.

It is aso worth mentioning that in our previous class assessment (lesson plan), I noticed that reading does not have to be individual and silent. Even though it was a lesson planned for elementary students, it gave me the spirit to innovate with lessons for high-schoolers, the ones I will be teaching in a near future.

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It was worthwhile reading this text because it covered a topic that I’m interested in. As teachers we need to find ways to make learning relevant, authentic, and valuable in students' lives. Personally, I’m eager to learn more about how to develop new skills and strategies to give students the best learning experience possible. Concerning the text composition, I did not have major problems while reading it, there was no complex vocabulary, and it was thoroughly written.

However, I must admit that I expected more concrete material or new strategies to apply in the classroom, many of the ones mentioned in the text were previously seen in other classes.

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Pitcher, S.M., Albright, L.K., DeLaney, C.J., Walker, N.T., Seunarinesingh, K., Mogge, S., Headley, K.N., Ridgeway, V.G., Peck, S., Hunt, R. & Dunston, P.J. (2007) Assessing adolescents’ motivation to read. Journal Of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 50(5), 378-396.

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To actively engage students and help them feel personally connected to their learning, the teacher should include reading materials of varied formats, levels, and topics in the classroom. Expanding the notion of text to cover popular culture and music, the Internet, magazines, and other alternatives could invite opportunities for adolescents to become active readers and develop critical thinking.

Considering a personal experience related to this point, one time, my high school English teacher made our class read a huge text, a science-article, which was cognitively demanding and with lots of technical words. It was by no means meaningful (only as a negative memory) or engaging, because the topic was highly decontextualized. I can’t even remember what it was about but that it was approximately two pages long with no visual support. Now that I’m more aware of how a class should be structured (pre-, while-, post- task, etc.), I think that the class did not follow a clear pattern whatsoever, all revolved around the handout. Consequently, the learning was not scaffolded properly.

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Teachers’ enthusiasm can make a tremendous difference in students’ motivation and engagement in regards to learning, and their reading habits and attitudes. Moreover, it contributes to create a better classroom atmosphere where students feel more confident and be able to take risks.

In my initial practicum, of the 45 students we had, only 3 of them participated actively. For instance, when we wanted someone to read, they would not offer to do it because they feared being ridiculed and not being proficient enough. I think the teacher should embrace making mistakes, encourage them to participate more and make sure that everyone feel comfortable in the classroom.

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1. Take into account students' interests and needs.

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1. Take into account students' interests and needs.

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Teachers should incorporate what students are passionate about into the class/lesson and then use those interests as natural motivators to increase engagement. By acknowledging students’ reading choices in reading and building on them, they can make learning personally meaningful, motivating and helpful so they could expand those interests to related topics over time.

In my initial practicum, my classmate and I did a survey about motivation to our class (9th graders), asking students about how they felt about the class. The vast majority of them stated that the teacher was too monotonous, and they wanted other type of activities to approach not only for reading but all the English skills. We were surprised to know that they were cognizant about the methodological approach of the teacher, and they wanted a more dynamic class (with games, videos, among other suggestions) connected with their preferences and needs.

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Nowadays, the value of reading is becoming a lost art. I think that students tend to think of it as a boring school duty. However, as teachers we need to find the way to get students excited about reading, to link it to fun, discovery, and curiosity, and to promote the sheer joy that reading can bring. Students need to realize the importance of acquiring a habit of reading and actually understand what they are decoding. They have to reach a point in where they can self-monitor their reading process with strategies that suit them.

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It seems like teenagers/children are consumed by the new technological devices. Consequently, they would prefer spend their free time in their computers or smartphones rather than on a book. That could be a stigmatizing generalization but, based on what I have seen so far, it is our current reality. I approach this term because as (future) teachers, we have to be innovative and ally with technology. I believe students are more acquainted with it these days and we have to use that in our favor.

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It is an understanding you have of yourself that’s based on your personal experiences, and the thoughts you (and others) have about yourself. In this sense, students do not see themselves as proficient readers. This concept is important because, we have to be aware of it in order to help students develop self-confidence and be more willing to engage in the class as active learners.