I really enjoyed reading the first two chapters of"Subjects Matter" because of the use of the current book "Fast Food Nation." Even in my one year of teaching I can see that practical application helps students stay interested in a topic and retain that information for longer than just a test.
I realized while reading "Content Area Writing" that students are writing more than ever now. And that's not just the drawer of notes I confiscated from them throughout the year! It's the texting, my space, blogs, e-mail, etc. Just like we have formal speech, our students need to also learn formal writing. As the text states "bosses look for the ability to communicate effectively." I feel very strongly about this statement because in former jobs, whether I was an employee or the boss, I came across an abundance of poorly written job applications as well as memos written from CEO's. I threw the applications in the trash, and did not respect the boss as much based on this lack of effective communication. http://www.writingcommission.org/pr/writing_for_employ.html
While reading "Adolescent Literacy I felt an immediate connection to the frustration felt with the NCLB standards and testing. It is unfortunate that the education field is required to meet standards that no other institution is. It is also unfortunate that only the final number is recognized, not the immense progress made toward it.