Monday, May 23, 2011
Blog Post 2 (RLL 4430 Spring 2011): The Presence of the Past leads to the Art of Discovery
We know more about how the brain works now than we have perhaps, at any time in human history. We know that in order to incorporate new knowledge we must have an experience that connects with something we think we already know. Our brain stores information into chunks and we associate words, whether we realize it or not with other words, visual images, and with our prior experiences. How we store, how we learn and how we remembered what we have learned has huge implications for us as reading teachers. Keene spends an entire chapter recalling her reactions to Maya Angelou's, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and associated experiences with Southern segregation, "dresses into dreams," and her realization that two folks can read a story and have entirely different experiences. I believe Keene shares these pages not only so we can see that readers have different experiences but to show the richness that each one of our students brings to the reading process. This takes time. Getting students to discuss literature in such way simply takes time and patience. As much as I do appreciate spending time in the classroom activating students prior knowledge, we also must be careful when planning instruction for students reactions potentially sensitive topics such as 9-11, so-called "terriorism," and ideas about equity. Its important for us to share our personal stories when helping students connect with new information. Chapter 5, provides us a way to have these conversations with students, and an underlying assumption is that teachers know the readings that they share with kids. How do you plan for these conversations as a teacher? What does that look like? Furthermore, who has time in the day to creating a voluntary study group with teachers? I especially value this idea of creating professional learning communities as it is essential to the life blood of the school.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
The selection from the Infotext talked a little about prior knowledge. Feathers talks about how prior knowledge is organized in a complex multi-dimensional arrangement of concepts. By this she means that finding one item leads us to think about many others. I think that having adequate prior knowledge gives students an advantage in all subjects. When students are able to relate things to each other it makes it easier to learn and remember new information. Chapter 4 also talked a lot about background knowledge and I liked when Susan said “I realize once again how important our personal connections are to what we read and how powerful our background knowledge is in affecting how we respond and understand.” This stuck out to me right away because I realized how important student’s prior knowledge really is. If students are unable to relate to what is being read then they are that much more disconnected and it will take that much longer for them to really comprehend. When children are able to share their background knowledge they are also able to bring something different to the table. Everyone has different experiences and can therefore, teach someone something new or different. I also liked how the teacher in this chapter wanted to teach the strategies effectively and therefore, she started by applying them in her own readings. I think that this is an important aspect because teachers will only be able to relate to the strategies if they have actually used them in their own readings. This chapter also talked more about the importance of think-alouds. I really like this strategy and I think that it will be very useful in all different types of classes. They also mentioned the “turn and talk” procedure. I found this very interesting and I hope to be able to see it in person. I saw a video in the first reading class and the teacher implemented this same procedure. The students seemed to really be engaged during this time and I think they can really learn a lot from each other. I also think that this procedure allows for students to socialize with other classmates that they not know as well. The last thing that I wanted to mention from this chapter was the quote on page 95 which states “Schema is about way more than reading!” Sometimes it’s the smallest quotes that make the most sense or have the biggest impact. This quote is so true, there are so many different aspects that go into schema and there are just as many different applications. Overall, I enjoyed reading about schema and background knowledge. I think that this is an important component for comprehension and I can’t wait to implement what I have learned.
ReplyDeleteChapter 5 focuses on the importance of questioning. One quote that stuck out to me is on page 106 and it states “Children who struggle to read don’t consistently ask questions as they read, not before, during or after.” This led me to think about when I was growing up and in elementary school. i was very shy and most of the time I was too intimidated to ask questions, in any area including reading. Luckily, I was a pretty good reader and I was able to make it through school with a fairly good understanding of the concepts. However, I think about the students who did struggle and how hard it must have been. If I was a student who struggled and was too shy to ask questions then I probably would have done very poorly in school. I think that teachers need to focus on making their students feel comfortable and allowing them to share whenever they feel the need. It is also important that students are respected and that their opinions are taken into consideration. If student’s feelings are hurt then they are less likely to share the next time. Therefore, I think that in the very beginning teachers need to establish a sense of respect throughout their classroom. Another quote that goes along with this is on page 108 and it states “We do children a disservice by ignoring, belittling, or disregarding their questions.” As a future teacher, I think it is my responsibility to encourage student’s questions and help them answer the ones that I can. I also think that students need time to get together in groups and ask questions together. This may take some of the pressure off students who are too shy to add to the conversation during large group instruction. The last thing that I liked about this chapter was a quote about students taking ownership when they are in charge. This was in reference to the reflection sessions that children participate in. the students are able to teach their classmates and when they do so they take more ownership. Overall, I think this chapter gave great examples of the importance of questioning and I now know how to better approach students questions.
ReplyDeleteI liked how in the first chapter, right off the get go, somethibg opened up my eyes. The part where the teacher talks about what SHE thought about as opposed to what the student thought about. What i get from it is that i need to remain open to ALL kids thoughts and insights. Each child has a different background and prior knowledge to bring to the table in a collaborative way. If i were the teacher, i would encourage all students to maybe, get in groups, and share their ideas about what they think when they read the text. What events, trials, and experiences are they dwelling on? This will most likely jog the other members' of the groups minds. This will only help their comprehension.(continued)
ReplyDeleteOn page 72, when they talk about, "rarely involved" and "telling thr answer", i think of work. Since i am a manager, i need to train people. One thing i am an advocate for is "not giving the answer". If an employee is trying to remember how to do a function in the computer, i give what i like to say, "silent time". I do not give the answer, but rather i wait and dont say ANYTHING. They may look at me for the answer, but i will not give it. This makes them not only THINK, but the have a way better chance to REMEMBER and RETAIN the information, rather than me just giving them the answer. How wouldi apply this to my teaching? First, model what i want them to do, activating prior knowledge. Then, lets say they get stuck and cant think of any connections, i would give "silent time". Also, without giving the answer, i would probing questions. This would make them THINK, and even more powerfully, along side another student. This is the ultimate goal.
ReplyDeleteTwo information rich chapters that really show where our thoughts should be when we select and teach literature to our students. Chapter 4 focuses on using the background knowledge children have to construct new knowledge and how true that is. Recently I was fortunate enough to take part in a very brief workshop on background knowledge and it was a truly eye opening experience. The presenter used a series of brief demonstrations with the members of the audience where he demonstrated how important it is to understand what students know before we teach. He handed out books to different members of the audience and asked them to read.......the problem was that some of the books were in different languages, some were picture books with no words, some were written backwards, some had no cover, some were on topics that no one in the room had ever heard of, etc. The point of it was that our student's background knowledge is nothing that should ever be taken for granted. Background knowledge can make or break a lesson; and should always be considered when selecting literature that will be used for instruction. Background knowledge is broad and the best thing we can do is see what it is and build on to it from there.......with differentiated instruction, quality literature, and comprehension strategies. As Keene points out this can easily be accomplished by using think alouds in combination with large blocks of time dedicated to building on to student's schema. I love how she broke down the different phases for teaching comprehension strategies and included not only a teacher section but also a section for student focus. The breakdown of all the phases which followed the chart (which broke down all the phases) was excellent and it showed not only how it works but the time and energy required to teach lessons which are meaningful not only today but tomorrow and next week too. There are so many ways to teach students comprehension strategies but by feeding on background knowledge and modeling for students exactly what "good readers" do in think alouds it gives students a feeling of power. First, students see that they have a connection to the story (text-to-self) and that alone sparks interest. Second, students see what a "good reader" does, the thought process that reader has while reading and that gives them strength to pair with their interest. Finally, by opening those doors more are sure to follow; students will most likely make text-to-text connections and eventually apply these strategies to other parts of the curriculum. Empowerment is the best word I can find which describes the instructional choices and strategies which Keene discusses in chapter 4. If the goal (which it should be) is to send life-long learners into the world we must find ways to empower them and by using their own knowledge and teaching them strategies to build that knowledge we are empowering them.
ReplyDeleteAnyone have any questions? Generally this is where lessons end up.......A gaze around the class for the opportunity to look at the students with that hazed look in their eyes wondering not on a deep level about what they were just taught but instead trying to decide what their "look of understanding is." Questions have turned in some classrooms into a way for students to identify the "less-capable" peers in their classroom and this is unfortunate. The one quote which I simply loved from Chapter 5 was "After all, the root of question is quest"(Keene, 107). How true this is; but too often we lose track of the importance of questions in everything of the past and the role questions play in the advancements in everything from transportation to microwaving a hot pocket. Where would we be if Edison had no questions, what if Einstein never looked for more knowledge by asking questions? Who knows.....that is exactly where we would be and therefore it is so important to build a community in the class and to explore excellent literature with questions. The Van Allsburg story (The Wretched Stone) is such an interesting story which undoubtedly raises questions (old and young readers alike) that should be asked, explored through reading, and discussed in a variety of ways (including workshops, turn and talk, whole group, etc.). Once again Keene discusses in this chapter the utilization of a think aloud when introducing the questioning strategy and once again she showed me exactly how powerful of a tool modeling in this way can be when used properly in the classroom. The other excellent thing I was able to take from this chapter was the section regarding "Reflection Sessions". The first thing that I thought of is the research which indicates the benefits for students to both teach their peers and learn from their peers. The student who teaches is obviously reflecting on what they learned and by planning a lesson which they will present they are solidifying all of the knowledge which they gained. The student who is listening to his/her peer discuss what they learned is either in agreement as they learned the same thing or they are intrigued as they are gaining a new perspective on the material. Finally the teacher can use this as an authentic assessment of what the students were able to take from the lessons and workshops which their class completed. This chapter was great because too often students are bombarded with information and never given the opportunity to reach for their own understanding and that is only possible through questions.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the assigned chapter in Mosaic of Thought, It is amazing to me how two people can realize so much about the importance of background knowledge and its role before, during, and after reading to improve reading comprehension, and memory. I actually enjoyed the little boy’s knowledge on the Anasazi. I have had children in classes I’ve taught in, that have had as much or more knowledge of topics of interest to them, but not particularly to me than I have. I worked in a 3rd grade classroom that had a high level autistic boy in it, that could wrap circles around my knowledge of dinosaurs. It did not take any effort to activate his schema on dinosaurs. Everything else was an effort for him, just not dinosaurs.
ReplyDeleteThe Gradual Release of Responsibility model is what teachers incorporate in our district, but I am not sure if they label it by that name. They have book collections and access to a teacher resource room library collection with amazing books that are useful for modeling and using during think-alouds. They also each have the “Making Meaning” series that not only employs activating prior knowledge, but also works using both nonfiction and fiction texts. The Making Meaning series has all the mentor texts included. Teachers often share other quality literature with students so that students can see how different authors incorporate different text features. The authors began with planning. Next they use modeling and then they implement the partner “turn and talk” procedure allowing children to become more involved along the way. We too use these procedures and have seen much success with implementing these procedures.
I do like how Debbie makes it seem so natural to pull that book off the shelf and remember where she wanted to pause and think aloud, but I prefer sticky notes to guide me through my lesson. I probably have not used the same book enough to know exactly when and where in the book I would want to stop and think aloud. To be continued...
Part 2...Children seem to understand the text-to-self and text-to-world connections quicker than the text-to-text, in my opinion, so this is another reason it is so important to have quality mentor texts available to elementary students. When Debbie taught the word schema to the children, it caused me to reflect back on my amazement the first time I heard a first grader use the word. Now, I hear it so often it is not nearly as astonishing.
ReplyDeleteI have used the chart idea quite successfully. Debbie listed the “text-to-self” books she read. In addition, I added a shrunken copy of the actual cover of the book and examples of connections students had made to our chart. Since it was early in the year in a first grade, I also made quick sketches and included them with labels.
I agree that it is important to use books that the teacher loves. Not only will his/her enjoyment of the book be conveyed, but he/she will know the book well. It is easier for a teacher to find an example if one is comfortable with the content of the book.
I also love how the kindergarteners in that school were exposed to the word metacognition, just as our kindergarteners are. Prior to exposing students, our district provided the parents with the necessary background knowledge so that they would understand what their children were talking about when they tried to share their metacognition at home.
I like how over and over in the chapter, she tells children that the strategies are all aimed at helping the reader understand the book better. I say that over and over with each mini-lesson I present on comprehension. I found it important and insightful how she talks about introducing the idea to students to sort out the important experiences and connections they’ve had. This way they can concentrate on the experiences that help them understand the book better. Some children get lost in making connections to connections and don’t actually understand that there is a reason for sharing them.
I like the examples of using the strategies in other subject areas. The use of “way in” texts seems to be quite valuable in building schema. Students could be guided or encouraged to select at least one “way in” text when shopping and making choices for new books. This way they could still feel some empowerment with making choices, while gaining background knowledge that will serve to make future connections.
I also thought it was insightful when Kathy allowed Max to read Through My Eyes at independent reading time, by adding some conditions. I was excited to see a compromise to the dilemma that I often face with students wanting to read books not yet at their level. I felt like it gave me an option, but gave the students some power. I can’t wait to try this.
The strategy of questioning is a quite powerful in that it enables the reader to better understand the passage or story. It is useful for any genre and should be used before, during, and after reading. Just yesterday, students used questioning multiple times throughout the day. Since I was in a third grade classroom, this strategy has been modeled many times and students have a good working knowledge of it. It was the student’s job to come up with questions after previewing the title and headings in an article called “Banning Tag.”
ReplyDeleteBeing third graders and having prior knowledge of multiple kinds of tag, they immediately thought this was a new kind of tag. Because tag is allowed at their school, no one even suggested that tag might not be allowed. One boy did say he knew what banning meant, but he didn’t understand what it had to do with tag. This worked out to be a perfect example of why prior knowledge does not always aid comprehension.
During and after reading we made a new list of questions that the students had. They listened to hear which questions could be answered as the article proceeded. It was exciting to watch their reactions to what the article was actually about. At the end, they asked if their school might ban tag. They also asked if the principal in the article really wanted to ban tag or if it was purely for safety reasons. They also wanted to know if it was a temporary or permanent ban. Their level of thinking had changed. They have also used the questioning strategy in math, science, reading, and social studies.
I found it interesting when Ellin stated that children come to kindergarten full of questions and for some reason stop asking them. She talks about how passive students become, in this regard, by the upper elementary grades. I think depending on the learning environment children can again be encouraged to feel comfortable with questioning. I use this strategy each day and students catch on to it just fine. Also, Ellin noted the correlation between question and the ability to comprehend. Perhaps this is why our school system has moved to begin reading instruction in kindergarten when students are still full of questions.
I also was intrigued by the thought in that questioning is a quest for learning. I think this is true, but I had never thought about it quite like that before. Of course whenever a person asks a question, they are trying to find out an answer to something, which would be learning. I just never stopped to think about it before.
to be continued...
Part 2...I especially liked when Julie asked students to share questions that their partner had asked. This is a technique I use, but probably not often enough. I teach what a good listener looks and sound like, but I think I have only asked students to share their partner’s idea once or twice. This is an assessment of their listening and how meaningful “turn and talk” actually is. Reading this caused me to reflect back on the whole purpose for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI loved the idea of students handing the teacher a note when he/she is conferring with others, if a student has thought of a rhetorical question. It is a great signal without totally interrupting. Another time when sticky notes were used was when students marked spots where they had questions about words or illustrations. This is something we commonly do along with the turn and talk during reading. We sometimes have students reflect back and share with their buddy at the end of independent reading time.
This chapter is filled with useful basic ideas on conditions for success in reader’s and writer’s workshop. The concept that was new to me was the use of “invitational groups”. Although I have done this very thing before, I will probably do it more often now that I realize the role it plays. Often times, I will try something purely because it seemed like the right thing to do to make the activity more meaningful, but I don’t put a name to it or have knowledge of it being a research based best practice. Now, I can with this teaching strategy. The toughest part for me with “invitational groups” is keeping the lesson short. The children who need these groups the most have many needs so I have to remember to prioritize, keeping a list of other noteworthy needs. I know that if I try to work on too much at a time, it will become confusing and not much will be gained. They need time in between to practice their new skill or strategy.
I also thought “What is a Crafting Session?” is a great reference tool. Even though crafting sessions are included almost every day, I think it is great to have this chart to reflect back on and use as a reference reminder. It is easy to lose focus of its purpose and great to have this tool. I also think it would be useful to create a chart like this with students, adding to it as students become more comfortable with crafting sessions. It is essentially answering the question, why do we have crafting sessions?
I am always interested in how the authors connect each strategy. This has happened with background knowledge and questioning. They also connected visual comprehension with questioning by mentioning that it causes the reader to stop reading long enough to see pictures in their mind. I like the way all the strategies ultimately work together.
This chapter reminds me of the reasons for questioning. It is important for me to keep these in the back of my mind so that I will be able to make sure this strategy is as meaningful for my students as it is for me.
In the Infotext Reading and Learning selection I read, it emphasizes the importance of prior knowledge to connections and connections to comprehension.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated the analogies used in the chapter, especially the learning to drive a nail into something because it is something I can personally connect to. After using a hammer and nails on several occasions, I was faced with hammering into hard wood. I was not aware of how hard it would be to drive that nail in this new kind of wood compared to the softer wood that I had previously used. So, I can understand how Karen Feathers relates this idea with trying to read different types of text. It makes sense that our strategies and prior knowledge may or may not prepare us to be successful at reading any given passage.
The text also explores the text, the reader, and the content as being influencing factors in one’s ability to read. When I think about it, it just makes sense that they would all affect reading. Just from personal experience, while selecting a good book on a topic to read at the library, if all books were equally readable I could grab any one, but I don’t. I want to make sure it is not only organized in an understandable way, but also that it is not written in such technical jargon that I am wasting too much time trying to decode and understand each word, sentence, or paragraph. I don’t want to spend hours to gain useful information. I can determine how useful the book will be by glancing through a book. Children can be taught to do this too. I enjoyed how Feathers talks of empowering children by allowing them to make choices. I think this is why it is so important to allow children to have the opportunity to shop for the books they want to read.
The reader is the second influencing factor mentioned. Many children come to school with so many home issues worrying them that concentrating on reading a book may not be a possibility for them. I’ve had students walk in crying in the morning and I know that if that issue is not resolved first we will not be able to accomplish much, if anything. Also, finding books that are of interest to the student is also important. Again, this is another reason to allow students to make choices.
The content can also be affected by the purpose for reading, such as if questions must be answered upon the completion of the reading. Students then tend to browse through the reading, looking for answers to finish the task, rather than to comprehend and remember. Comfort while reading is another influencing factor mentioned in the book. I often carry in a bag of child friendly rugs when I substitute teach. Some have bright colors or are in the shape of fire trucks, flowers, animals, etc. I want my students to be as comfortable as possible, while enjoying their reading. When I did my 4th grade long term, I added furry chairs, pillows, and rugs to our classroom library. Students couldn’t wait for their turn to cuddle up and enjoy their book. These little added touches to the classroom atmosphere make a huge difference. Students were begging for additional time to independently read.
To be continued...
Chapter 4: The presence of the Past
ReplyDeleteWhenever I read I focus on the details of the story. I focus on how the author describes the setting, the characters etc to connect with the story.
The reading strategy presented in this chapter is using your schema to understand what you have read. Using your schema, visualizing recollections of your past to understand the text you are reading. Your schema is the brains own personal library and once something becomes a part of your schema is when you remember things. To become a more effective reader, if you are able to what you read to your schema you have just made a connection to that text. If it is an informational book that you are reading, you have just gained more knowledge simply by connecting to it.
In the chapter the two authors read a poem by Maya Angelou, they both have two different views, two different schemas. They both found the same theme in the poem but found it through different paths. I really enjoy this part of the text because it showed how people can have different conclusions based on the different experiences they have had. It’s good to teach students that it’s ok to experience books differently. The way that I visualize a story will be different that someone else.
This reading comprehension strategy of connecting with your schema is important because it is the stepping stool to becoming understanding your text on a different, more deepened state. By connecting with your schema you not only expand your knowledge; asking the right questions, drawing conclusions and putting your knowledge to use become easier for you. The way that teachers can help build schema within their students is by giving subtle hints in activating the story within the students. If the story lacks background knowledge give some based on the topic. Give them knowledge about authors and illustrators (I loves Eric Carle books, The very Hungry Caterpillar because I like the way he designs his books).
When i was reading the part about the teacher not "doing their homework" and researching, i was cringing because i knew what was comming. I thought to myself, how would i feel if that was me? Its like me, to underprepare and slide by on somethings. I would feel lost and hopeless. This part made me realize that one of the vitals for teaching is to be a RESEARCHER. I then thought about it more, "asking questions as i read". (ill get to that). In todays world we have so much technology on hand. Utiluzing this fact, i have more than enough material to make me an effective teacher and expert in any genra, theme, or subject. This way i wont have the awkward silence in my class, like the teacher on the last paragraph of page 74. (continued)
ReplyDeleteChapter 4: The Presence of the Past
ReplyDeleteThis chapter illustrates the great benefits of reading research. Now that we know more about what happens in our brains as we read, we can teach students to use schema to improve their understanding of a text by connecting new information to what they already know. This is why it’s vitally important to activate students’ prior knowledge before reading, to help them make connections during reading, and to allow them to reflect after reading by also making connections. I thought it was very helpful that the authors point out that making the connections alone is not enough; students also need to see how making the connection enhances their understanding of the reading. I love the visual imagery the authors use: to “activate mental files,” which is really what is happening when making text-to-self, text-to-text, text-to-life connections. It was very telling, on page 72, when Ellin realized that simply providing her students with background information wasn’t effective. Students need to activate their own thinking and make their own connections to have a meaningful experience with a text. I thought way this was effectively demonstrated was when Debbie was reading The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco, she told them that she could predict what would happen next in the story because she had thought about the author’s style and schema.
Before I begin a text reading with my eighth grade social studies classes, I ask them a simple, general question to activate their thinking. Two recent examples are, “What does the word ‘compromise’ mean to you?” and “How do you feel when someone changes the rules in the middle of a game?” With these questions, I’m trying to elicit an emotional response from my students that will engage them in reading about events that happened long ago. These initial questions relate to today and my students’ lives, but on a base level, the concepts and emotions are similar to the historical events I am teaching. This helps to establish a purpose for reading.
I liked the way this chapter describes in detail the steps necessary in teaching the schema strategy and how the teacher prepares for each phase. They divide it into four phases: planning, early, middle and late, which illustrates how the teacher’s role becomes increasingly less dominant as students grow more adept at using the strategy. This process emphasizes the importance of teacher’s modeling the skill in numerous think-alouds to familiarize students with the strategy. I noticed that Debbie tries to be brief and very specific in her think-alouds to help students grasp using the strategy. I also liked how the book provides two different examples of using and teaching the strategy; it sends the message that there isn’t one precise way to do it.
ReplyDeleteI especially liked the section in which Kathy used the schema strategy with nonfiction and worked with her students to identify the different schema used in nonfiction. Some of the ideas they came up with included: Readers use schema in historical events to predict what happens next, they use schema to add new learning to topics and to correct inaccurate schema, readers usually need to stop more than with fiction, and the harder the book, the more stops are needed. Also, writing and talking about schema beforehand helps you read something challenging. This teacher found that students retained science and social studies concepts better when she incorporates reading nonfictions using the schema strategy.
As a social studies teacher, I was interested in how Debbie used schema to understand text structures. I liked the discussion she had with her students about how one author uses print, headings, and drawings to convey information, and how, in nonfiction, ideas come at the reader very rapidly and so readers have to slow down and often need to reread an unfamiliar, content-dense passage. I was also interested in the idea of “way in” text that help students build schema for a particular topic. I think it would be very valuable to have “way in” books available for students who need to build their knowledge.
Chapter 5: The Art of Discovery
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with the authors that “Questions are the glue of engagement.” Getting eighth graders to talk (about social studies) is sometimes difficult, so I am always trying to come up with different ways to engage them in learning. It’s a sad truth that young children are very curious about everything, but by eighth grade, many students no longer ask questions in school. When the lesson is successful in getting them to question, talk, and think more extensively, they generate all kinds of ideas, and those are the best times to be a teacher. I agree with the authors that we cannot “ignore, belittle, or disregard their questions.” I was not surprised to read that children that struggle don’t ask questions as they read. Perhaps they are so focused on decoding and the mechanics of reading that they cannot form questions about the content simultaneously.
I like the middle school modeling of the questioning strategy. I have done some of this, but should do more. I often put readings under the document camera and read with students, but I tend to ask them questions more than model my own thinking as I read. I think I will try to do this more thoroughly before the end of the year. As I have said in class before, I tend to ask questions of my students and offer a lot of explanation, rather than asking them for questions. Of course, students do ask questions, and I often use their questions to begin a discussion with the whole class.
One strategy I use is to ask students to answer a question on the board when they come into the classroom. I have found that allowing students to think and write about a topic before they have to talk about it helps to generate ideas on the topic. I usually have students discuss their journal responses with another student and then we discuss the question as a class. This also allows more students to participate—not just the ones who think and respond quickly in a whole-class discussion. Also, reticent speakers have more time to formulate and get comfortable with their ideas before they have to voice them. I like the idea of beginning to teach the questioning strategy by having students work on using questions to choose a writing topic. I liked the idea in this chapter to use the “turn and talk” strategy during reading to discuss any questions they have with another student.
I liked how in the crafting lessons, Ellin and Char worked to encourage higher order thinking and questioning. I agree that if the teacher uses “probing, challenging questions that went to the heart of the matter, the children followed suit.” If teachers ask simple identification questions, students will generate simple questions that do not help them to understand a text better. Students need to see how they can come up with a variety of thoughtful questions that enhance their reading.
Infotext pages 21 – 40
ReplyDeleteI immediately made several connections with this week’s Infotext reading. In the section, What Factors Affect Reading?, the author describes how different subjects organize text in different ways, and that if students don’t understand these structures, they will have difficulty with the text. I find this to be true with my eighth grade Social Studies students. Some students who are avid fiction readers have difficulty with our textbook. I worked on familiarizing my students with the different text structures found in this text, but I did not do it for a long enough period, so it wasn’t very effective. Also, the question of readability comes up in my classroom every once in a while. Our textbook crams so much information that students are inundated with names, facts, and dates that end up meaning very little to them. I use another non-traditional text that presents the same content in a narrative style with many illustrations. My students appreciate the style of writing in this text, and the fact that it does not try to cover too much information too quickly. They gain a much better sense of the big idea than they do with the traditional textbook.
I liked the idea that the “text contains clues that the reader uses to generate meaning.” As students read a text, they pick up these clues about an author’s “language rules,” how she organizes text, employs vocabulary, and structures sentences. Readers use their prior knowledge to take these clues and make sense of what they are reading. I liked the author’s discussion of prior knowledge, a word so overused that it is definitely worthwhile to think about its actual meaning. Feathers states that prior knowledge is “organized in a complex, multi-dimensional arrangement of concepts,” with many interconnections that lead to other ideas or schema. When new information is read, it is placed somewhere in this arrangement and becomes part of this network. Strong readers connect new information to prior knowledge and continually monitor their thinking before, during and after they read to verify their understanding. They also employ strategies such as rereading, sounding out unfamiliar words, checking for meaning and asking for help.
The author stresses that it is the role of the student to make connections that enable them to acquire new knowledge, and that the teacher should not organize and explain the meaning of everything that is to be learned for students because this does not help them learn in a way that is meaningful to them.
Chapter four gives a detailed overview of why it is important to “activate prior knowledge” when discussing text with children. The author states the “one of the most effective ways to improve comprehension is to “activate mental files” before during and after reading. She goes on to give step by step instructions on how to use the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model. The four steps being: planning, early, middle and late phases. I work in the classroom where I completed my student teaching, so I am fortunate to be able to try out a lot of the strategies I read about in various classes. As I read the steps, I realized that if I overlaid these strategies on what we have been doing in class, we would be in the early phase. We have introduced text to self-connection. We have introduced writing about something real that has happened.
ReplyDeleteAs the seasons change over the course of the school year, I find that during the spring it is the perfect time to talk about thunder storms, what they are, discovering how to determine the distance it will travel to reach us. The book I use to begin that discussion is Thunder Cake by Patricia Palacco, who also happens to be a Michigan native. I keep the book handy and wait for the storm to happen during reading workshop. Today it happened; the storm came right on time. I read the book as usual, only this time I added more of the think-aloud strategy during the reading, and afterward more questioning time. The book took on new life! We read during the storm with all of the lights out, except on the Elmo, we counted the miles of our storm. As we read the account of how the cake was made, I thought aloud about times when I baked with my mom and grandmother, it was real for them, it was authentic. By the time the book was over, the storm had ended, we gathered on the carpet to talk and allow the students to ask questions. I let the children do the talking, only guiding them and keeping them on track. At the height of the discussion, I sent them to their tables with a special story telling paper we have developed. The students were practically on fire; even the students who usually struggle to just draw picture representations of their thoughts were able to give me a story. I’m not sure who was happier, me or the students. The strategy does work, however it does take more time.
I think especially with young children, we have to be careful not to have the lesson go too long, I can see that happening with this strategy if we are not careful. I think when we plan this lesson, we have to make sure we know the story well, and practice it, where we will pause etc., BEFORE reading it to the class, just like the author demonstrated. As I have taught this lesson before I am very familiar with this book, where to pause, where to insert a self-to text- connection. We had a rich discussion, prior knowledge, cooking with mom, dad and some grandmothers was real to them, and because it was real, they could write/draw about it.
Chapter 4- I got a great amount of information from this chapter, lots of things that never even crossed my mind. Although, I got a lot of good information from this chapter, it brought back so many memories for me. When I was an elementary school student I always thought that when I read something, there was only one meaning. I thought this all the way into high school until I had an eye opening experience where we were able to share our thoughts and feelings about books and poems that were read. his chapter opened with a piece by Maya Angelou’s piece I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Both Keene and another individual read it and got two different meanings. They thought about all their experiences and what they remember from that time period; two different people with two different experiences and thinking about the piece. I think that this is what really helped with me understanding the whole purpose of the chapter.
ReplyDeleteHaving different understandings and meanings of something is very important because it brings about new knowledge; I think that is what Keene did while reflecting about the poem. We all have things in order in or brain, information is stored in our brain which is called schema. This chapter did a great job in giving examples on how to get children to use their background knowledge. Modeling and thinking aloud have to be done but the students need the opportunity to do it themselves and hey have to be accountable for what they do. Good readers do exactly what was displayed in this chapter which is to think and find understanding and meaning of a text. They can do that by making connections using the tools they have learned.
I thought about what I would do as a future teaching in order to get students’ brains really going. First, I think I would have to give them something that they find interesting and that they can relate to. If they had to do something that really wasn’t related to them, I would still find a way to relate it to them. I think that children are able to use their background knowledge and make it stick when they have wonderful experiences with reading and other activities. The one question that I had while reading this is,What is it that I can do to help children have a wonderful experience and learn at the same time?
Chapter 5- Questions, questions, and more questions is what this chapter really emphasized. It seems like teachers are so ready to give a question and want an immediate answer. Students think that there is a specific answer to a question and really they are just waiting on the answer. Teachers give a question and will sometimes answer it for students or show them where the answer can be found. Teachers also do not allow children to ask questions which can lose some children in the process of all this. It is important that we encourage questions and remind students that every question does not have an immediate answer. Keene’s story about Cha Mize and her classroom really gave me some insight on how students can become better readers and listeners.
ReplyDeleteThe story of Char Mize and how Keene helped her revamp her classroom was an amazing story to me. Char knew that there was something wrong and it was time for a change. Her and Keene got together to find a solution to the problem. There was so much information from study groups to reader’s and writer’s workshops to crafting sessions. This led to students understanding different texts better. All this was done by letting children explore with questions.
At the beginning of this chapter there were a few sentences about questions I really liked, “Of all qualities, questioning is fundamental to being human. It is how we dispel confusion, probe into new areas, strengthen our abilities to analyze and deduce”. I found this to be very interesting and true because this is how we formulate ideas and opinions by questioning. I think this is exactly what Keene and Char were doing with the students in the classroom. They allowed the students to be the teacher of themselves instead of always depending on the teacher. They also shared their thoughts and questions with students too which was a plus. One of the best strategies to me was the “crafting session” because it really allowed for exploring and knowing that it is just find to have questions that are answerable.
This chapter showed me a lot of different ways I can help students with understanding information. I learned that it is never too late to help children develop the skills they need to be successful readers. Questions, questions and more questions, there is absolutely nothing wrong with them. In fact the questions I had were, Is this going to work where I am currently volunteer at? Can children really do this if their mind is stuck in a place where the teacher does everything?
One of the big things i was thinking about as i was reading even the first few pages was the second paragraph of "the quest", where it says, "they are passive as they read", i thought, how worse is it goingto get over time with all these ipods and ipads and what not? Where are all of the questions going when they reach school? They are pouring it into video games! I know i do! I think the root of the problem of not questioning is cause kids arent reading at home, then by the time they get to school, they dont have a want or desire to read. However, and unfortunatly, a lot of the blame goes on the teachers with no help from the parents...to me, this just means we have to make questioning enjoyable, attainable, authentic, and fun. How do we do that? We model it. We do think alouds. I truly believe this is the most contageous way to get kids to think like this. It is so important!
ReplyDelete