04: Apple, How About No? — Following Up — Analysis is an Enigma

Plus some simple practices that have improved my teaching the past two weeks.

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Welcome to Field Reports!

Every two weeks, I share insights and updates from my classroom, reflecting on my pedagogical practices.

For creative writing and ELA activities to use in your class, check out Plug & Play!

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An Easy Way to Show Students You Listen

I’ve shared how I use Google forms in class to get a pulse on things happening in class. It’s one of the most valuable changes I’ve adopted this year. Here’s a suggestion that adds to it.

I always put a question on the form that says “Any questions/comments for Mr. Merrill?” Most of my students will type “no,” but a few will ask me something or share an observation (an occasional few will share jokes or try to Rickroll me).

Before the next time we’re in class, I go through the responses looking for common trends, questions, and misunderstandings. Then I put my observations on a slideshow and share with the class. Students see me answer their/their peers’ questions and respond to comments.

I’ve adapted this practice from something similar my university professor did years ago. I saw that he would read our responses and make changes in class as a result. He showed he respected us.

I hope my students gather a similar feeling and understanding.

Report on Iteration over Revision

In my last Field Report, I wrote about how I want students to iterate more than revise. I wanted to follow up with the intentions I expressed there.

Over the past two weeks, I’ve had my juniors practice analyzing in conjunction with their reading of The Great Gatsby. Rather than have them write a short analysis and revise it until it was perfect, I had them write one and then get feedback from others based upon specific criteria.

They then picked one or two things to focus on improving and wrote a brand new paragraph. They submitted their best of the two for me to review.

I assessed them for common strengths and weaknesses and reported to the class.

Tomorrow we’ll do a third session of writing, again starting new rather than rewriting the old. I hope to see some improvement.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

The Enigma of Analysis

Teaching analysis is difficult. So far my students have progressed in their understanding that analysis is different from description, and they are able to identify when they get stuck describing. We’ve now arrived at the great question of: “I know what not to do (only describe), but how do I do what I’m supposed to do (actually analyze)?”

I’ve found myself struggling to articulate the skill of (and skills within) analysis in a way that my students connect with. Maybe they don’t lack understanding but simply gusto? Maybe they feel discouraged that insights don’t come naturally or quickly?

I’ve been working to recognize the metacognitive strategies I use while analyzing so I can help my students practice them.

My current list:

• Actively question the text:

  • What would happen if the author had used a different word?

  • What objects and settings recur in the novel and could I treat them as a symbol? Are they connected with characters?

• Make assumptions and then investigate their soundness.

• Treat every chunk of writing as having multiple meanings simultaneously:

  • Push beyond the literal and explore the figurative.

If any of you have wisdom for teaching analysis, please share, I’m all ears.

Apple and Fahrenheit 451

Today and tomorrow my sophomores and I finish Fahrenheit 451. Over the next few days we’ll explore connections between the society of the book and our world today. I’m planning to share Apple’s recent ads for Apple Intelligence.

To be frank, the ads discourage me. For those who haven’t seen them:

The people making these ads are supposedly heavy hitters. The ads themselves? They encourage a future I’m not fond of.

I worry that the technologies when used as portrayed in these ads lead us away from community and connection. In them we see a world where it’s not a problem if you don’t remember the name of your daughter’s cherished pet or the name of the person you work with. Also, if someone sends you their work and wants your feedback, you don’t actually have to read it: you can save face by having AI summarize it for you.

Our dispositions are molded by the nature and quality of our consistent actions. Thus, if we follow these ads to their implied ends, the technology shapes us into uncaring people.

Is the unnamed assumption that we’re just too busy to do those things on our own? If we are, then maybe our attention is misplaced. What happens to our humanity when we no longer have to remember and care about the things that are important to remember and care about?

In truth, making sacrifices to the idol of convenience cankers, not sanctifies, the worshipper. This impressive technology regresses the soul.

The beauty and richness of life grows from work and toil. Trying to grow meaningful relationships through convenience and shortcuts is as vain as hoping a flower will bloom without being rooted in dirt.

From the words of Bradbury’s Faber:

“The comfortable people want only wax moon faces, poreless, hairless, expressionless. We are living in a time when flowers are trying to live on flowers, instead of growing on good rain and black loam… somehow we think we can grow, feeding on flowers and fireworks, without completing the cycle back to reality.”

Instead of being thrilled by what new technology enables us to do, maybe we should hesitate and ask who it persuades us to become.

I’m curious to hear what my students think.

Thank you for reading!! If you have insights to share related to the topics I’ve discussed, I’d love to hear from you.

📼 My collection of videos to start class.
🖋️ Poems I share with my students.
🎹 My playlist of gentle music.
📚 What I’m reading/highlighting.