Desperate SBTS

Literature Circle definition:

The literature circle is a strategy for teaching reading comprehension.  Each circle reads the same text and each member is assigned a role that corresponds to a specific comprehension strategy for analyzing the passage.  When the group meets, each student presents the results of his or her analysis for discussion.

Connection with Bloom’s Taxonomy:

By definition, a literature circle is a strategy that encourages critical analysis of read texts.  The objective of the reading circle is to provide students scaffolded practice in a variety of comprehension and analytical strategies.  The critical thinking levels that are the objectives of the student roles of a literature circle are Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation. 

BTW – I looked up Bloom’s Taxonomy on Wikipedia – and found a diagram that arranged the levels in a different hierarchy than was used in class.  This arrangement was in three levels, the bottom being Level I – Knowledge, the second being Levels II and III – Comprehension and Application, and the third being Levels IV, V, and, VI – Analysis, Synthesis and Evaluation.  This arrangement seems to eliminate the need for thinking of these levels as stages (where the next necessarily follows the last and the order cannot be rearranged or any stage skipped).  I think it is helpful to think of the levels in this way – as there often seems to be confusion over where to place a strategy that may fit the description of more than one level. 

Connection with NETS-S:

As presented (minus the technology integration portion of the article), one general similarity that I found in the NETS-S and the literature circle strategy is the emphasis on helping students develop independence through controlling their own learning.  I think it is easy to see the influence of Bloom’s taxonomy in the 6 technology standards.  But beyond advancing throught the taxonomy levels, I find that the goal of literature circle and the technology standards is to give students the confidence and competence to be independent learners.

Taking each standard independently – even without a specific technology component in the literature circle, there is a definite correlation between the objectives of the literature circle and those of the technology standards 1-4, particularly with regards to communication and collaboration (standard 2) and research and information fluency (standard 3).  

Connections with Lesson Planning:

This article presents a very strong case for the utility of the literacy circle strategy in satisfying many critical requirements of a good lesson plan.  In addition to necessarily promoting thinking to the higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy,  the literacy circle provides built-in opportunities for inclusion, differentiation, accountability and assessment.  It is easily adaptable to content areas other than language arts where reading takes place, or to different genres of literature itself.  It provides for the consideration and exploration of learning styles.  It provides a scaffolded opportunity to practice the techniques of cooperative learning and discussion. Really – I was very excited about this idea because it is so powerful and encompasses so many necessary lesson plan components.         

Filed by sepowell50 at 7:38 pm under Uncategorized
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