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=Cassandra Hanson = =Edpl 223 = =Leadership Project =

1/27/09--Literature Review Project Proposal:
Differentiated Independent Reading Program Originally, I wanted to focus on the research topic from last semester: profanity usage in my high school. Recently, a new curriculum issue has come to our attention in the English Department. The new topic that I would like to pursue is how to encourage students to become lifelong, independent readers. This topic will be much more relevant to curriculum development and my professional career. We have a student body that is resistant to independent reading and has not been encouraged or trained to seek out reading on their own. Our student body even comes into our school as freshmen without ever reading a novel in middle school. In order to break this cycle, our department wants to develop a program and find strategies to encourage independent reading, wants to find and suggest ideas for parents to help them foster this development at home, and we wish to create differentiated reading lists for students and parents to use as a reference. Within a small group of English teachers, and the school librarian, we will read through the research and resources that I uncover through my exploration of this topic within the realms of this leadership project. This project can be enhanced through research that points to successful reading strategies for struggling/unmotivated readers. I expect the group of students who will be easily be motivated by this program to be honors level students who are already independent thinkers. The group of students who I want to particularly target are those that are challenged by reading long texts or students who are not motivated to be independent learners. Other research that will be helpful will be to look at differentiated reading lists suggested by other schools, other professionals, and organizations. The last research component needed for the success of this project is a focus on finding ways for teachers to monitor independent reading and strategies to incorporate this type of a project as a part of the semester curriculum. This topic is of particular interest for English teachers because English teachers have a moral obligation to promote curiosity and wonderment beyond their subject matter. By encouraging independent reading, not only are we helping students develop healthy study habits and autonomous thinking, but we are also encouraging students to seek out topics in which they are interested or in which they are talented. Furthermore, this project is of benefit to an English teacher because students are exercising and using skills taught in the classroom. The practice of these skills can enhance academic achievement in all subjects. This project will require the collaborative effort of the English Department and staff. EDPL 223 can help to enhance this effort and can demonstrate ways in which to motivate the staff and encourage a team effort to adopt this program in all classes.

Group Members: Cassandra Hanson (English Department), Megan Kitze-Ward (English Department), and Jeff Schrieber (Library/Media Specialist)