Reflection of Zoom Discussion with Peers

Final post – In a stand-alone video post to your blog, reflect after the discussion

How did this task impact your reading? What did you learn about yourself as a reader? What could/would something like this look like in your classroom practice?

 Many of us agreed that teaching a series as a whole class text is unlikely due to curriculum requirements and accessibility. The main point raised was that reading a series as a whole class can be time consuming and also keep us from teaching a variety of different genres. Many series are written in a specific genre that transcends across the sequels and prequels. We discussed the impact that teaching a series as whole class texts could have on reader engagement and learning. As an avid reader, I have formed specific preferences around genre based on my reading experiences. Our students should be exposed to many different genres and by teaching series as whole class texts, students do not have the opportunity to explore different genres. For this reason, I believe that series do have a place in the English classroom as an independent reading novel. 

   We also talked about the strategies that are needed in order to support students in reading series. I am going to list below some of the strategies that were brought up in our discussion and some additional that I have since come up with. 

• Theme anchor charts
• Highlighting through discussion that plot elements such as characters, conflict, and setting are going to be reintroduced in the reading of series.
• Character maps 
• Open response diaries (this method is also a strategy that is used in the practitioner text A Whole Novels for the Whole Class by Ariel Sacks)
• Review of annotations before reading the additional books in the series
• Supplemental texts to support major themes presented in series texts (newspapers, short stories, pictures, art, media clips, etc.)
• Create a space for students to discuss major themes in series novels
• Literature circles
• Writing prompts that challenge students to write in the genre that a series is written in
• Use sequels to differentiate for students that are advanced readers if only teaching the first book of a series to whole class

   This task challenged me to think about the strategies that are needed to support students in navigating series. I think that series are a challenge for me because I tend to be drawn to a certain type of genre. For example, I find that I will only read a series if its science fiction. I have read The Hunger Games and the Divergent Series but I have a serious gap with other genres. I chose to read Mark of the Thief by Jennifer Neim to expand my reading preferences with my students in mind. Mark of the Thief is a historical and speculative fiction series. Going out of my comfort zone helped me slow down and really pay attention to the elements that make a series engaging. It also helped me understand what my students may need or want from the reading of a series.