10-08-2011, 07:23 PM | #31 | |
Publishers are evil!
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With that out of the way, my sister is a high school English teacher, and they have no choice in the matter, but must teach Shakespeare. They do Romeo and Juliet in 9th grade and then later I believe they get a choice between teaching Julius Caesar or A Midsummer Night's Dream. They also have to teach Dickens. I believe they do Great Expectations. However, they are not limited to these books, and my sister has her students read a 300 page novel of their choice a few times a year. If they pick a book over 300 pages that is fine, and if they pick a book under 300 pages that is fine too, but they need to read additional books to get to the 300 page limit. She also doesn't care if it is the Twilight series or whatever. |
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10-09-2011, 12:32 AM | #32 |
lost in my e-reader...
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For me, a lot of the un-cool-ness comes with being forced to read and often (over)analyze the books.
I adore The Hobbit and the LOTR trilogy and most of the other Tolkien books. BUT I was forced to read The Hobbit in 8th grade, and I hated it for the duration of the forced reading, and for quite a while thereafter. And, I notably flunked one test because I couldn't tell the teacher what had happened in Chapter 12 - I had (re)read ahead so far that I didn't remember what was in Chapter 12 vs. 13 vs. 14... I do think it's reasonable to have some reading lists that mean that kids will read widely across various genres and various types of "classicity", but still, for me, being compelled to read anything makes it a lot less enjoyable. |
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10-09-2011, 02:39 AM | #33 |
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Actually, there are quite a few barriers. You need to be able to read (duh), and, depending on the author, a certain vocabulary (or a dictionary, and not being afraid to use it). It's also got to do with attention span, and the fact that you can't read a book in the background, the same way you can have the TV on. On top of all that, horror of horrors, you actually need to envision the story in your head, without anybody imagining them for you. All words, no pictures, you know? Clearly only for them brainiacs.
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10-09-2011, 08:23 AM | #34 |
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Reading is not cool because it is compulsory at school.
Grade schoolkids on their Final Fantasy scores and you'll find them hiding from their parents and reading Tolstoy :-) Museums should be forbidden to children. They would find all kinds of ways to sneak in and would stare at the masterpieces with the same awe with which they stare at bloody severed heads in zombie video games :-) |
10-09-2011, 09:15 AM | #35 | |
Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Its also why I haven't picked up a book of poetry since the end of high school, and actively avoid poetry elsewhere. Once you've been conditioned to vivisecting poems to "properly appreciate them," you don't want to see another poem again. |
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10-09-2011, 09:15 AM | #36 | |
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A little off topic: I went to Catholic school, and starting in 7th grade we had to read the New Testament. The bible we used had both old & new testaments, and I used to surreptitiously read the Old Testament like it was a sleazy novel. |
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10-09-2011, 09:39 AM | #37 |
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What is cool? Cool is all about external attraction, external apperances.
Reading is about internal attraction, the internal mindscape. They are opposed... |
10-09-2011, 11:42 AM | #38 |
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I'm glad reading isn't cool (whatever cool is). If it were to become "cool," the non-conformist in me would force me to give up the habit.
I'm not sure that the "being forced to read boring stuff in school" hypothesis really holds much water, though. I was forced to read the same boring stuff that everybody else was... and I did hate it... with a passion. But I still loved to read for my own entertainment and that passion was not dampened in the least by being forced to read stuff I didn't like. Of course I was reading books for my own enjoyment long before being forced to read books became a regular (let alone gradeable) part of my official education. Maybe that makes the difference. Because as much as I'd like to be considered "special," I'm sure that there's plenty of people that felt—and reacted—much the same way I did. I'm sure many of them are members of this forum. So while being forced to read Shakespeare at time when you were ill prepared to appreciate it may certainly be a mitigating factor, I don't think it's the deciding factor. I think it's a lot simpler than that: reading isn't "cool," because those who love to read aren't "cool". Never have been. Harsh, I know, but educated bookworms have always been made fun of... hands-on experience has always been valued higher than "fancy book-learnin' " in most societies. I'm sure there weren't many people that thought scribes were cool back in the day, either. |
10-09-2011, 01:29 PM | #39 | |
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But mostly it's not about the activity - you can have a "cool party" or a "lame party," after all. It depends on who's there. And maybe on alcohol, especially if you are underage. But only because underage drinking is "cool". |
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10-09-2011, 01:33 PM | #40 | |
SQUIRREL!!
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How you blend your talents and likes is what determines your 'cool' factor. Of course, the ultimate in 'cool' is not needing a bunch of sycophants to affirm your 'cool' factor! By the way, no matter what you 'force' kids to read in school, someone is going to hate it (all I have to do is mention Jane Austen to get this thread going off topic ). Required reading in school is about comprehension and critical thinking, not content!!! |
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10-09-2011, 01:37 PM | #41 | |
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Why is Shakespeare taught as a reading assignment, why not acted as a play? |
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10-09-2011, 01:48 PM | #42 |
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This and This!!!! I personally believe that Shakespeare never meant his plays to be anything but 'experienced'... and I truly like Shakespeare, but when I read any of his works I find I am 'visualizing' them at the same time!
Last edited by GoSharks; 10-09-2011 at 01:59 PM. |
10-09-2011, 01:54 PM | #43 |
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I've always thought it somewhat strange to read plays as literature, that's clearly not the intent of them.
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10-09-2011, 02:04 PM | #44 |
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Me too. And I especially don't think Shakespeare intended his words to be read out loud by 30 different readers taking turns. I never understood that particular classroom exercise.
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10-09-2011, 02:07 PM | #45 |
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Though with a few well placed mis-reads his works can take on a whole new meaning....sometimes highschool was fun!!!!
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