That all being said, your note about engaging via writing is spot-on.
I got to teach "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" to the most advanced AP kids in the high school where I did my student teaching. We would read a few pages each night and their homework was to identify a passage that intrigued them (there is NO shortage of thought-provoking passages in that book!!!).
We'd then spend the first 10 minutes writing a reflection on whatever passage we chose. We'd spend another 5-10 minutes sharing some of those reflections and discussing.
I would write a reflection as well w/each class and then post them to our class website.
It was absolutely amazing.
I got to teach "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" to the most advanced AP kids in the high school where I did my student teaching. We would read a few pages each night and their homework was to identify a passage that intrigued them (there is NO shortage of thought-provoking passages in that book!!!).
We'd then spend the first 10 minutes writing a reflection on whatever passage we chose. We'd spend another 5-10 minutes sharing some of those reflections and discussing.
I would write a reflection as well w/each class and then post them to our class website.
It was absolutely amazing.