Week 9

This past week I finished reading "The Blind Side" by Michael Lewis. As I've mentioned before, "The Blind Side" is the story of Michael Oher, a young homeless, African-American boy from Memphis who is taken in by a rich, White family. Michael begins attending a prestigious private, Christian school and earns a high school degree and college football scholarship to the University of Mississippi. The main thing I read about this week was the struggles that Michael encountered when he entered college because of his unique background and situation. As an African-American being raised in a White family, Michael struggles to fit in with any group of people. He was not completely comfortable in a White, upper class social situation and other young African-American men resented Michael for the opportunities he was given in life. After encountering early struggles in college, Michael perseveres and earns his college degree while excelling on the football field. After his senior year, Michael is selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. Currently, Michael plays offensive line for the Baltimore Ravens.

Besides the themes that I have previously mentioned, I believe that one of the central themes in "The Blind Side" is race and its impact on people, communities, and society. Although many people may think otherwise, I believe that race and racism is still a very powerful issue in our society today. With that being said, I do believe that our society has made great strides in dealing with race and racism in the last 50 years. "The Blind Side" demonstrates the gap that continues to exist between races in our society, but it also demonstrates how people who care about one another can bridge this gap. Stories like "The Blind Side" provide hope that we can continue to make progress towards a society where people do not notice race and a reality of life without racism can truly be realized.

My Reading Log
12/3 10-11:30 pm

Week 8

This past week was Thanksgiving and I was able to travel to Chicago for the holiday weekend. I found that reading on the flight to Chicago was a very good use of my time. I continued to read "The Blind Side" by Michael Lewis. The main things I read about this week were the NCAA's investigation of Michael Oher's college recruitment process and the the way that NFL football strategy changed during the 1980's. Like I said last week, I am fascinated by the story of Michael Oher. It's amazing that a person can go from being homeless and skipping school on a regular basis to a college graduate who plays in the NFL in the span of six years. I think it's important that people never underestimate the impact that a few people who care can have on a person's life. I can only think about how so many people could be so much more successful in life if they had a few people who cared about them.

On another note, I think it's time for me to say how much I've enjoyed the assignment of reading for pleasure for 90 minutes each week. I've always loved reading and I was a voracious reader when I was in elementary school and junior high. As I entered high school, I had a much more busy schedule and reading was one of the first things to go. Throughout high school, I think I only read one book for pleasure. During college, I read in spurts, but not on a consistent basis at all. During January of my junior year, I read four books. It really felt good to read again, but I stopped when I got busier again. This class has provided me with a great "excuse" to read. Without this class, I'm not sure I would be reading. So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for this class and the impact it has had on my reading habits.

My Reading Log
11/23 7:00-8:30 am

Week 7

After finishing "The Tipping Point" by Gladwell, I had no new reading material at home. One book that I read a couple of years ago that I was interested in reading again was "The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game" by Michael Lewis. This book is the story of Michael Oher and is the basis for the award winning movie "The Blind Side" starring Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw. This book has two major storylines. The first is the change in strategy of football over the past few decades to a game that emphasizes passing and the importance of the left tackle position. The second storyline is the story of Michael Oher. Oher was a young African-American growing up in extreme poverty in Memphis. Oher attended over a dozen public schools in Memphis, and was just passed along through the educational system without ever really learning anything. Taken in by an white, upper class family, Oher is finally given a chance to succeed. With help, he begins to slowly succeed in school. After raising his grades high enough, he is allowed to play sports and this is where the two storylines intersect. Oher becomes a well-known football player and is a highly recruited left tackle. Eventually, he attends college at Ole Miss and graduates with a college degree and goes on to play in the NFL. Having already read this book, I can say that it is one of my favorite books I've ever read. More than football, though, this book is about second chances, overcoming obstacles, not letting others' expectations define you,  and love. I would recommend this book to anyone, regardless of whether you like football or not!

My life circumstances have changed greatly since I read this book the first time. The first time I read "The Blind Side", I was working on my Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, now I am working on my Master's Degree in Education. Before, I was a player on multiple athletic teams, now I am a coach for multiple teams. My reactions while reading "The Blind Side" are much different now than they were before. In the "Blind Side", Lewis talks about the way the teachers in the Memphis educational system just passed Michael Oher from grade to grade without taking any interest in him. Oher was dismissed as being "unable to learn". Finally, Oher found teachers at a school, though, who took an interest in him. They helped him learn how to learn and how to help himself. This was powerful to read as a future educator. Reading this made me realize the impact that teachers can have on the lives of their student. One teacher can change the entire course of a student's life. Next, I was reminded of the impact that sports can have on a person's life. The lesson here doesn't apply to just sports, it applies to any activity. Students can experience so much personal growth when they find an activity that they enjoy. This is why I think it is absolutely essential that our educational system not emphasize standardized testing so much that elective courses and other school activities are cut out of the lives of our students.

My Reading Log
11/14 11:30-12:00 am
11/15 10:30-11:40 pm
11/19 12:00-1:00 am

Week 6

I finished reading "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell this week. The most interesting thing I read about this week was the epidemic of teen smoking. Gladwell noted that the rate of teen smoking has been rising despite the fact that the prices of cigarettes have been raised and the laws regarding selling cigarettes to minors have been tightened. Also, Gladwell pointed out that the efforts to educate teens about the dangers of smoking have failed. In fact, Gladwell argued that most smokers tend to overestimate the potential risks of smoking. A study by a Harvard economist found that smokers tend to guess that smoking takes nine years off a person's life. In reality, the true answer in somewhere between six and seven years.

The lesson that Gladwell wants his readers to understand is that the fight to reduce teen smoking should not be given up; instead, the strategy to reduce teen smoking should be changed. Gladwell argued that researchers and scientists should look to find a way to lower the nicotine level in cigarettes so that teens do not get the same buzz or high from their first few cigarettes that causes them to move from being recreational smokers to addicted smokers. This is the sort of "outside the box" thinking that draws me to Gladwell's writing. Although I did not enjoy "The Tipping Point" quite as much as "Outliers", I still want to read more of Gladwell's writing.

Thinking about what sort of writing style interests me brings me to another idea I want to talk about. I'm not sure about other people, but I can often tell if I will like a book or not by the time I finish reading the first paragraph or page. This experience was especially true for me at one point in high school. I checked out a book from our library and I was excited to start reading it. The first page was not that interesting to me, but I decided to keep reading because I thought the book could get better. The farther I kept reading, the more I realized that the book was not interesting to me. In the end, I quit reading before I finished the first chapter. Since that point, I don't think I have ever finished a book that didn't excite me after the first page.

My Reading Log
11/8 - 11:30-12:00 am
11/9 - 10:30-11:00 pm
11/10 - 1:30-2:00 pm

Week 5

Like the previous two weeks, I struggled to find time to read this week. Thankfully, next week is finally looking like it will be a slower week for me. I am still working my way through "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell. The most interesting thing I read about this week was the drop in crime in New York City. Gladwell argued that the crime rate dropped in NYC because of small changes that were made over time by the police department and other city officials.  These small changes included painting over graffiti as soon as it was spotted and harsher punishments for people caught committing common crimes such as aggressive panhandling or subway fare evasion. Gladwell noted that NYC went from being one of the most dangerous large cities in the world to one of the safest in less than a decade.

One of the main ideas of "The Tipping Point" is that little things can make a difference. This idea intrigues me as it relates to education. I've often that the difference between a student who excels in school and a student who performs poorly in school is small. It seems like one person can often change a student's outlook on their education. This person can be a teacher, parent, coach, administrator, or any other person the student comes in contact with. I think school faculty and staff members need to realize the impact they can have on the lives of students. Often, students are looking for one person who takes an interest in their life. Once a student sees that an adult cares about them and their education, their achievement is likely to improve quickly. With this in mind, it is my hope as a teacher to make a difference in my students' lives. I would like to get to know my students and show them that I care about them. Hopefully, I can make a positive impact that will help my students persevere through school and life.

Week 4

This was a bad week for me!!! I was very busy and reading was not very high on my priority list.  I found just enough time to complete my reading for this week. I am continuing to read "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell.  In this book, Gladwell is examining the reasons that certain ideas and trends "spread like wildfire". So far, Gladwell has outlined three types of people that important to the rapid spread of ideas. He labels these people as connectors, mavens, and salesmen. Each one of these roles is filled by a different person(s) and the characteristics of people in each role are different. But, all three types of people are critical to the rapid spread of an idea or trend.

In one of the chapters of "The Tipping Point", Gladwell examines why certain educational television programs are more successful than others. He starts by telling the history of Sesame Street. Endless research and review helped propel Sesame Street to being one of the most popular children's programs of all time. In more recent times, Blue's Clues has also been very successful at grabbing the attention of children and helping them learn.  Gladwell notes the way that the creators of Blue's Clues built on the success of Sesame Street and improved the way they tailored their show to children.  This discussion was especially interesting to me as a future educator.

My Reading Log
10/25 - 1:30-2:20 am
10/28 - 2:30-3:15 pm

Week 3

This past week, I finished "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell and moved on to another book by Gladwell entitled "The Tipping Point".  In "The Tipping Point", Gladwell examines how little things can make a big difference in everyday life. He is interested in how certain ideas or trends explode and spread throughout society "like wildfire". I am not far into the book, but what I have read so far includes the power of epidemics. Although Gladwell is not only talking about medical epidemics, he references how certain diseases can make the jump from a small affected area to a full-blown epidemic. He applies this same idea to explaining how trends can make the jump from being somewhat popular in a small area to being extremely popular in a large area. I am excited to continue reading and see how Gladwell explains the tipping point phenomenon.

As a side note, I am very intrigued by Gladwell's style of writing. Before reading "Outliers", I had never read any of Gladwell's writing except for a foreword he wrote in another book I read. His writing style intrigues me because of the way he examines trends throughout our society. Gladwell's writings includes both scientific research and first-hand interviews. The way he seamlessly weaves psychology, sociology, and history together piques my curiosity. Although I don't agree with everything that Gladwell has to say, I am still very interested in his writing. On another side note, I was extremely busy this past week and it was hard for me to find time to read. The good thing, though, is that reading always relaxes me and helps me wind down after a stressful day.

Reading Log
10/17 - 1:00-1:20 am
10/21 - 1:20-1:40 am
10/22 - 12:00-1:00 am