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"Content-rich classrooms make wondering, irresistible." (p.25)

I absolutely love this quote. As a teacher, one thing I truly hope to inspire and teach my students to do is to look around at everything with curiosity and wonder and get excited to learn, and I think that starts with a well-designed classroom that provides the opportunities for a student to become passionate about what they are doing. Students learn best when they are engaged by choice, engagement is always necessary, but if students truly WANT to learn, the will take away more meaningful knowledge from a lesson,

"If readers swallow everything they read or hear whole, we've got a problem. Critical thinking, therefore, become an increasingly important 21st century skill."(pg.37)

This was a quote that really made me thing. As a teacher, we will be putting so many different things into our lesson plans and ensuring that all the material they need to know, and MORE is being exposed to them. Students need to be able to think and use metacognitive skills to decide what’s the most important. Students live in a world where there is a lot of content and media staring the in the face everywhere they turn, and they will need to know how to look upon that information and be able to critically think through it to determine how much of it is actually important.

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“When kids are surrounded with compelling content, they are motivated to read, learn, and gain knowledge.” (P.719)
This quote stuck out to me because I believe some students do have to be motivated by the content. This is why sometimes I think it is important to tie in students interest so that they can be motivated and have a desire to continue learning. It is also important to realize when content may be a little boring or when it is time to switch things up so that students stay engaged.

“Teaching kids to ask questions, read strategically, think critically, create, communicate, and collaborate rank at the top of our to-do list.” (P.783)
This quote also stuck out to me because it mentions that it is ranked at the top of our to-do list. As future educators it will be our job to teach students to ask question, and think critically about what they read. We want to teach our students how to also communicate their thoughts and how to process what goes on while they read. I never would have thought this would be priority but it does make sense because reading, thinking critically and communicating is something they will always do.

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"Content learning is not about slogging through textbooks, answering a bunch of questions about dates and events, or spending two periods of twenty minutes a week on science. Rather than simply skimming the surface, kids should be grappling with and constructing ideas for themselves across all content areas, 24/7" (pg.26)

I know I chose a rather long quote but I felt like you couldn't have one sentence or the other because they back each other up in a sense. I chose this quote because it is towards the beginning of the chapter and in a way sets the foundation for the following pages. I personally find that nowadays school has become basic memorization and test preparation. After the event is over the majority if not all the information "learned" is just thrown out and the next subject is continued. To really learn a person must actively interact with the material and formulate one's own ideas and personalization.

"When children are taught to listen closely, ask questions, make connections, and infer big ideas, they will be far better able to think and delve into deeper ideas." (pg.32)

I chose this quote because I believe a big part of learning, retention, or comprehension is being able to listen. Whether that be to yourself, your mentors, or your peers. I think being able to truly listen and learn from others you as a person are able to develop more complex ideas, developing a deeper understanding of the given material.

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"Readers infer and visualize meaning by taking their background knowledge and merging it with clues in the text or the images to draw a conclusion, surface, a theme, or arrive at a big idea that is not explicitly stated in the text." (p.20)

This stuck out to me because it is something we do as we read or see something. From things that we already know, as we read, we make connections or think about similarities. It kind of makes us compare things if it is from the story or real life situations. Having that said from what you read and the information you understand or comprehend that is when we know the main idea or the theme of the text.

"The more complex the text and the tougher the vocabulary, the more thoughtful and strategic the reader must be." (p.33)

This stuck out to me because I compare it to fitness. If you push yourself everyday and lift a little bit more than the normal lifting you are challenging yourself to become better. Also speed on the treadmill, you may have a starting speed and you want to challenge yourself to go higher from there. In literature, reading something that can be scary as in a lot of text and vocabulary will benefit you to comprehend and catch the words you don't know much more easier.

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"Too often the practice of close reading emphasized literal understanding of text at the expense of what the readers bring to it." (pg 31)

The reader's opinion matters! This quote brings me back to my experiences reading text in middle school. I remember being taught to use a variety of annotating strategies when reading passages, including highlighting key words and summarizing in the margins. These strategies do help students pin point the important parts of the reading, but does not aide in developing a deeper meaning of the text. Leading students to making connections to the text from personal experiences and knowledge that they have already acquired will lead to deeper meaning of text and turn the information into new knowledge. This is true learning.

"The critical thinker in chief, of course, is the teacher who works to enculturate an environment where critical thinking flourishes." (pg 36)

As future teachers, we have the power to create a space that provides students with the tools they need to reach their greatest potential. Creating an environment where students feel comfortable to express their opinions and step out of their comfort zone is the most important to an effective learning environment. When I was in elementary school, I was very quiet and did not like to talk in class. I feel like if my teachers spent time creating a sense of community within the classroom, I would have felt more comfortable participating. Peer interaction in the classroom is super valuable and allows for exposure to new perspectives on information. Making connections to text and talking about them increases understanding. Students can learn a lot from one another through meaningful interactions!

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"Content-rich classrooms make wondering, irresistible." (p.25)
I love this quote from our reading because I think content-rich classrooms can come in many forms. This isn't just about the things that you teach, it is also about the things hung on your walls and things written on the board. This also gives us good criteria for the things we should be having in our classrooms. We need to have things that are stimulating but also intriguing to our students.

"Students may demonstrate that they can recall information, but simply skimming and scanning to find the answers to questions at the end of a chapter does not guarantee understanding." (p.27)
I really love that the book talks about this because I was this student in school. Just because a student can answer a literal question, doesn't equal understanding. Taking this information as a teacher, we should change our assessments to more thought-provoking questions. Questions that require comprehension of what they have read/learned in order to answer.

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“In content-rich classrooms, kids are asking questions, inferring, discussing, debating, inquiring, making things, and generating new ideas.” (Pg.698) (Kindle page numbers are off)
This quote stuck out to me because it made me think of my elementary and middle school years at school. I hardly have any memories of our teachers pushing us out of our comfort zones and try new things at that grade level, which is sad because I now know since I’m older that we thrive when we are out of our comfort zones. I want my classroom environment to be filled with things like in the quote above, I want my students to be the best they can be and I’m going to help them every step of the way.
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“Kids get truly engaged when they have a chance to spend time exploring significant issues and ideas.” (Pg. 723).
Through out my last couple of semesters of college, one main idea stuck out to me is that children learn best when they can connect their minds and life to what they are learning. Building personal connections to what you are needing to comprehend makes it so much easier to learn, and I think if children learn their preferred way of learning style they will be able to manage to build connections every time.

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" When kids are surrounded with compelling content they are motivated to read, learn, and gain knowledge." (pg.26)

This quote grabbed my attention because I think when teachers take the time to make engaging lesson for their students they become more excited about learning. Creating interactive lessons for students so that students are actively listening and participating. If students see that their teacher is excited about reading and writing then students are more likely to be excited about it as well.

"We must teach kids to sort and sift accurate information..." (pg.37)

This quote also grabbed my attention because it is important for all teachers to show their students about sorting through the information that they are reading. Teaching kids that not everything they see or read on the internet is factual or real. Teachers should also teach kids that creating their own informed opinion over a topic is good it means they are thinking critically as they are reading.

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"Stimulating environments fuels kids' natural curiosity" (pg.25)

I could not agree more with this quote and that is why it stuck out to me. I think that when the environment is filled with posters and books it helps with giving students a want to read. I believe that having a mini library in the classroom is important because it can drive students to go and pick out a book furthering their curiosity.

"... kids get truly engaged only when they have a chance to spend some real time exploring significant issues and ideas" (pg.27)

When children get the chance to deep dive into topics that they find interesting and/or care about they can talk on and on about the subject. Students do not always want to read about topics they do not find interesting, therefore it is important to give them some freedom on what they want to read. Once they find a topic that they like they will instantly be more engaged and want to share with the class.

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"Teaching kids to ask questions, read strategically, think critically, create, communicate, and collaborate rank at the top of our to-do list. That's what career and college readiness looks like to us." (pg. 30)

This quote got me thinking about how different teaching career and college readiness looks today vs what it was when I was in school. I remember when I was in school there was a lot of weight placed on memorization and how quickly you could recall something. No time was really spent developing those higher-order thinking skills, the majority of why learning what we did was to prepare us for STAAR tests. In high school it was the same; college readiness wasn't critical thinking and collaboration it was about how well you could recall information for a different standardized exam. The only time I can recall being thought outside the standardized testing box was in AP classes.

"In this era of 'alternative facts' and 'fake news' this is the ultimate skill for the survival of our democracy" (pg.35)

I really liked this quote and I've heard very similar things when I was studying political science.  Adding onto the first quote, this is why it is so important to teach things like collaboration, critical thinking, and communication but very rarely do people see that connection. This shows the ripple effect that what we teach and how has. We aren't just teaching these skills to prepare our students for college, were teaching these skills because they are vitally important.

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“Human beings pop out of the womb brimming with curiosity. But by fifth grade, that curiosity wanes. Children are naturally curious. We must ensure we don’t snuff that wonder right out of them. Instead, we need to fan the flame of curiosity throughout their school lives.” (pg.30)

Humans are miraculous for their sense of wonder. No matter the age, a sense of curiosity keeps humans moving forward. When individuals solve their interests, they can move on and find new ideas and information. Curiosity keeps them uplifted, striving for greatness, and bolsters a sense of awareness and learning daily. Once the sense of wonder is passed over or diminished from its importance, students' growth, inspiration, and success are damaged. That is why curiosity is so important, starting at a young age and continuing throughout life, because it builds a sense of want. A sense of need to find the answers which further learning strategies, students' belief in themselves, and experiencing all the world has to offer.

“We must teach kids to sort and sift accurate information from hyperbole, ferret out fact from fiction, distinguish an off-the-top-of-the-head opinion from an informed opinion, and develop the habits of mind to trust their interpretations and decisions.” (pg.37)

It is believed at an early age; that critical thinking means more work. As a child, it was a struggle of mine to think on a deeper level and understand the message beyond the words or phrases elicited in a story or a textbook. There is more than annotation or discussions based on the term critical thinking. Furthermore, the benefits of critical thinking outweigh the amount of work needed to comprehend the message. Once students can learn essential reflections, they’re learning to consider their ideas and opinions as valid, understand facts, and transform points into their own words, they’re able to paraphrase and apprehend that their interpretation might differ from others, but that does not mean that their answers are wrong. Students must learn to stand by their beliefs, stand by their variations and be proud of the work they have accomplished. Instead of stereotyping critical thinking as uninteresting and redundant, it has been essential throughout the years that teachers have found ways to create activities that stimulate critical thinking in a fun, productive, and inspiring manner.

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"Much of the information this generation will encounter will be auditory and visual." (pg. 30)

This quote really stuck out to me because this is true with the digital world kids are born into today. A great majority of classrooms have students doing work on laptops and tablets rather than paper and pencil and lessons are very digital based now. This also stood out to me because I am doing a presentation later on in the semester with another literacy professor about teaching literacy through VR.

"If readers swallow everything they read or hear whole, we've got a problem. Critical thinking, therefore, become an increasingly important 21st century skill." (pg.37)

This quote caught my attention because they really captured on hoe easy it is for evrything out there is not always accurate. Thus showing the importance of critical thinking and how that allows for us as people to be free self thinkers allowing us to read inbetween the lines and allow us to figure out fact from fiction.

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"Children are naturally curious. We need to make sure we don't snuff that wonder out of them. Instead we need to fan the flame of curiosity throughout their school lives. Teaching kids to ask questions, read strategically, think critically, create, communicate, and collaborate rank at the top of our to-do list." (pg. 30)

This stuck with me because looking back at all of my most memorable teachers, they all emphasized curiosity in what we were learning. Those who made connections with me as a student and as a human being pushed me to be creative. Things such as these two encourage us to think out of the box, work with others, and speak up when we have an opinion or thought. It says it later on - but these are the 21st century skills that ay college student and working adult need in their tool box.

"If kids are to become thoughtful, versatile, independent readers and thinkers who can read between the lines, they need a classroom community that values and expects kids to interact, think, and question all day, every day." (pg.36)

It's important for a teacher to set up their classroom environment up in such a way that allows kids to know that thinking, speaking, and conversing matters. The environment should aid students to think with a purpose and express their curiosity without the fear of speaking in front of their peers out of fear of being criticized. These skills can be valued in a community setting in and out of classroom, especially in a group setting or work environment.

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"Content rich classrooms make wondering irresistible" (Pg. 78 of Kindle EBook format).

Immediately, this quote on the first page stuck out to me. I love their use of passionate language in this book, such as the words "rich," "wondering," and "irresistible." These words paint such a beautiful picture in my mind of children that are excited to learn! It is so important that we provide rich, engaging materials to our students so that they learn to LOVE learning. Students can always tell when teachers are "checked out" and aren't really trying to provide interesting, authentic educational experiences. It is so important that we always put our best foot forward when it comes to the content we give our students.

"Children are naturally curious. We need to make sure we don't snuff that wonder right out of them." (Pg. 84, Kindle EBook).

This is so important! How many times have you watched a parent or teacher tell their kids to stop asking questions? That they're being annoying? How many of you have had this happen to you? How does it feel? It feels bad and it even hurts to watch! Each time it happens, the child's light dims. We need to promote curiosity and in order to create critical thinkers.

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1. "When kids are surrounded with compelling content they are motivated to read, learn, and gain knowledge." (p. 26)

Providing students with material and information that is relevant and meaningful to them enhances their learning. Reading should be an activity students enjoy engaging in and find fun and appealing. Teachers must get to know their students to identify what texts spark excitement in them and will allow them to gain valuable knowledge. A classroom full of books that welcome and foster the interest and curiosity of students would encourage them to want to read and continue learning about familiar and new concepts.

2. "Let kids know that their thinking matters and ensure that they can speak up without fear of being criticized." (p. 36)

The classroom students are in should promote a sense of respect and acceptance to let students understand that their ideas and the thoughts of others are significant. With this learning environment, students can develop a strategic spirit, confidence in their creativity, and agency. For children to be willing to express their opinions, they must feel safe and comfortable interacting with their teachers and classmates. Nurturing classrooms would support and improve students' learning, reading, and knowledge development.

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"Students may demonstrate that they can recall information, but simply skimming and scanning to find the answers to questions at the end of a chapter does not guarantee understanding" (online book pg.71)

Actual comprehension comes when students combine content with their thinking. Meaning that they have to comprehend how to use thinking strategies in order to understand information and recall it. Sometimes we find that we can retain information momentarily but when you understand the information it becomes part of your knowledge and you can elaborate more on the subject at any given time.

"Understanding strategies and having the disposition to use them encourages students to take an active rather than a passive stance toward learning."

In this quote, I find that if a student is taught properly and is enhanced in practice to use these strategies then they do have the encouragement to use them actively in a stance of learning. Also if a student is not aware of how to use the thinking strategies in the text they will not be successful and will be faced with challenges on how to enhance those features in their learning. That's why as teachers it is important to be aware of the students are using quality strategies in their work and if they do not find out if they don't know how. If that is the case how can you help them develop those skills. (online book pg.72)

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1. "If kids are to become thoughtful, versatile, independent readers and thinkers who can read between the lines, they need a classroom community that values and expects kids to interact, think, and question, all day, every day." p. 36

Children learn from each other and from asking questions. They should be allowed to talk to their peers during the day and not have to sit in their desks in silence. There are times when children don't understand what they teacher is trying to teach them even after asking questions, but when a peer explains it to them they can understand it.

2. "Kids will always need to ask questions and investigate." p. 30

Children start asking questions at such a young age. The text says that they are born curious. They want to know "why?" This is how they learn and understand the world around them by questioning. The more they question, the more they learn.