Kelsey Ramirez

EDCS 605

Book Study Reflection

Participating in a book study group allowed me to learn about being a literacy leader

through Jennifer Allens Becoming a Leader, while collaborating with my peers on a regular

basis. When we were first given this assignment I felt very nervous and apprehensive. How

could I lead adults, when my only experience is with leading young children? Despite my fears I

decided to volunteer to be our first facilitator. I was responsible for facilitating Chapters 3 My

Life in Seven Stories: A Model for a Required In-Service Program and Chapter 4 Study

Groups: Developing Voluntary Professional Development Programs. At the end of our book

study group I felt more knowledgeable on being a literacy leader, more confident in my abilities

to lead a group of adults, and I had gained three new friends.

For Chapter 3 I asked the group to prepare the activity My Seven Life Stories. I was

inspired to implement this activity after reading this chapter because Allen presented this activity

as a way to build a non-threatening environment. Since this was going to be our second meeting

as a group, I wanted us to continue to get acquainted and set a positive collaborative tone as the

first facilitator. The goal of this activity was to get group members to immerse themselves in the

reading by not only learning about Seven Life Stories, but to actually experience the activity

Allen describes. For Chapter 4, I asked our group to complete a Five Senses of Study Groups.

The inspiration behind this selection was not only the ideas in Chapter 3, but also the reading

responses we had been completing for this course. The format of our reading responses were not

the typical read and answer the questions type of assignments. Each assignment was different,

creative, and gave various ways of interacting with a text. I was motivated to select a task that
was different, intriguing, and required higher-level thinking. Selecting five senses of book

studies required group members to synthesize information and reflect on what this activity might

look and feel like. While assigning this task I was a little hesitant because this was my first time

giving an assignment to adult learners. I hoped that the task was understandable, thought-

provoking, and would facilitate collaborative conversations and reflective thinking.

While facilitating the group I kept in mind the concepts of adult learning theory to provide

members with a stimulating environment. I used the 30+ Things to Know about Adult

Learners-Motivation to Learn to guide the goals of my assignments and group conversation. I

wanted to create a non-threatening learning environment and get everyone acquainted with each

other. To achieve this I made sure to share one of my seven stories first. I chose to share a story

that revealed a side of me that my colleagues do not always see. In being vulnerable, I hoped to

make everyone else feel comfortable and safe to share personal stories. Also, I used the ideas of

Marl J. Kistler found in the article Learners: Considerations for Education and Training. He

says, it is critical for educators to use real-world examples and scenarios that the learners can

understand and relate to their own life situations. (pg.30) For Chapter 3 I presented the

questions, How do you think your students/faculty would benefit from participating in this

activity? Do you have any questions or fears about My Life in Seven Stories? We agreed that

this activity would be beneficial for older students. Younger students could complete one or two

stories using pictures describe events of a story. Our group also acknowledged that this activity

asks for vulnerability from everyone, which may be a challenge for a faculty. One group

member said, At work I feel like I build walls to prevent people to use information against us.

People may be hesitant to share so it might be easier to complete this activity in small groups.

For Chapter 4 I presented the questions, How do you think your students/faculty would benefit
from participating in study groups? Do you have any questions or fears? We agreed that study

groups would be beneficial for both students and faculty members. Realistically to implement

study groups there needs to be a set and clear purpose, teacher buy-in, it needs to be well

organized, and conducted preferably during work time versus after school. Both activities

allowed us to evaluate real life application and adaptations in our schools. Using the ideas of

adult learning theory allowed me to effectively create activities and facilitate powerful

discussions.

I felt that there were things that went well and things I would have done differently with

my facilitation. During our session together everyone shared and revealed their vulnerability.

We agreed that we wouldnt share the same stories with people at work because it would put us

at risk for people to use information against us. This is how I knew that we had connected on

another level as a group, and had created a safe environment. I also felt that the assignments and

follow up questions created productive reflection and conversation. We walked away from this

session knowing what adaptations we would make to implement these ideas in the schools we

work at. Although The Five Senses of Study Groups assignment was out my comfort zone, it was

received well by my group members. The goal of creativity, reflection, and valuable

collaboration was achieved. What I would have done differently is provide more valuable

feedback when people shared their stories and senses. I found myself saying, Thank you

__________ for sharing constantly throughout the session. Next time I would want to provide

feedback that specifically identifies what I valued or took away from someones reflection. I

could also have group members give feedback to the person who shares so there is more active

participation.
 Through this entire experience I learned how Jennifer Allens real life progressed in

creating her literacy coaching program, the role of a literacy leader, and what it feels like to

participate in a book study group. This text answered a lot of important questions regarding what

a classroom or the schedule of a literacy coach might look like, and where funding could come

from. I also learned about the journey Allen took in defining what a literacy coach is according

to changing needs of the school. Participating in a book study group allowed me to collaborate

with peers in a way that is professional and authentic. We read chapter by chapter focusing and

tackling real life education issues together. My new goal is to implement a book study group

during my professional career so that there is a team of people working together to gain

knowledge and solve the big issues in education.