Due to a mistake in this group, there is not a super summarizer assigned to this week. I have reposted the super summary from another group so that each of you are able to comment and complete your assignments. Thank you Jolene, for letting me know about this issue. Thank you to the whole group for your patience as we work out these items.
Debbie O'Doan, Lit Circle Facilitator

SUPER SUMMARY Pages 1-25
By Patricia Fisher (from group 14)
The author suggests that people do not enjoy thinking unless they feel they can solve the problem presented. If they feel the problem is too hard for them to solve, they become bored and will not work on it. Consequently students stop listening to teachers and disengage when they don’t understand the concept the teacher is encouraging them to think about. So a teacher’s job is to make thinking enjoyable.
According to Willingham (2009),“People are naturally curious, but we are not naturally good thinkers; unless the cognitive conditions are right, we will avoid thinking.” (p. 3). Willingham asserts that by combining adequate knowledge of a subject with a student’s innate curiosity, that student will find solving a problem in class to be an enjoyable experience and achieve the success necessary to engage in the learning process. As teachers, we need to make sure our students have the background information necessary to make problem solving enjoyable.
The author suggests that teachers engage the students’ interest in a subject by asking a question at the start of a lesson. If the students have adequate knowledge of a subject they will want to think about the question and try to answer it. This essential question should be something the students have an interest in since thinking is rearranging information already present in long-term memory and combining it with information from the environment in such a way that a problem can be solved.
This presents some challenges in the classroom. A problem cannot be too hard or too easy; it has to be just right. As teachers try new lesson plans they must keep a journal and note what works and what doesn’t to challenge students and achieve optimum engagement in learning. Since not all students are in the same place lessons must be tailored to each student’s ability. In order for a student to critically analyze information they need to have the facts necessary to accomplish the task.

Why Don't Students Like School?

I selected this image for the new cover of Why Don't Students Like School?
This image reveals how the students feel about school from being bored, engaged to frustrated. Some students don't like school because it may be too challenging, they can't relate to the material and how it would apply in real life. Some students don't want to think and be challenged while others thrive on such experiences and take on the challenges.

Hope my alarm is set!

Two things may be happening here with this student. In today's world students tend to work at night or stay up later and then catch up on their sleep in class. The other fact here maybe that the information being presented does not interest her. I find it amazing though that the teacher is letting her sleep.

Why Don't Students Like School?

I chose this image as a new cover for the book because the book is based on "why students don't like school." I believe there are many reasons why students don't like school, and this image displays a student who is either bored to death, or the teacher is so far above her that she is lost. She is not engaged in the lesson. The teacher is teaching "old" style....lecturing from the chalk board, and the child is not engaged.

Why don't students like school?

I choose this image because if more students liked school; the classroom would be full!

Why Don't Students Like School...A New Book Cover

I chose an image of an empty classroom to use as my new book cover for Why Don't Students Like School? To me, this image depicts the key reasons students don't like school. The desks are in rows and allow for only limited student interaction. Thre is limited or no technology. The classroom is also set up to focus on the teacher as a lecturer rather than on student interaction and discussion. Utilizing the "same old" teaching style does not engage students in learning or allow them to develop the skills that will enable them to succeed in constantly changing world. Instead, students simply "don't like school".

Welcome to Literature Circle Nine!

Your Super Summarizer schedule is as follows:

Section One--Due October 28, Carol Birgen
Section Two--Due November 4, Carolyn Karlin-Storms
Section Three--Due November 11, Michelle Larson
Section Four--Due November 18, Melanie Morehart
Section Five--Due December 2, Amy Paulson
Section Six--Due December 9, Jolene Vavra