Sure, Ann- By active reading, I'm referencing the wonderfully engaging, perfect-for-middle-school techniques of Jeff Wilhelm. His book, Action Stategies for Deepening Comprehension goes into detail, but the gist is this; In hotseating, characters,authors, even ideas can be put "on the hotseat" by kids playing the role as the other students, the audience, fire questions. The hotseated character must answer as the character would, and can get help through "good angels". Think of it as news conference with the hotseated characters the stars, and the other class members, the reporters. It is a wonderful way for kids to ask legitimate questions without feeling foolish. We've done it with literature and with science concepts. It's too much fun to be educational, but it is. Here's a link for more info: http://shop.scholastic.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?URL=Prod uctDisplay%3FproductId%3D14536&storeId=10001&store=TS&productId=14536&src=BT B000153P0010100000&langId=-1&catalogId=10002
Tableaux is the term Wilhelm gives for "freeze framing" kids in a moment in time. Again, great for scenes from novels, but also great for important concepts from non-fiction texts. If you sign onto the free annenberg media site, you can view a clip of how this works: http://www.annenbergmedia.org/resources/series169.html The clip from "dramatic tableaux" demonstrates a scene from The Watsons Go to Birmingham. You just have to believe that we've done much the same thing with a piece on the development of microscopes! Interactive note-taking is based on the work of Ann Goudvis and Stephanie Harvey. I'm not sure they actually call it that, but in essence, it's marking up the text either literally, or with the case of textbooks, through the use of an FQR sheet--facts, questions I have, my response, then meeting in small groups to discuss the questions students have raised. The process almost forces kids to stay "minds on" as they read challenging text. Hope this helps! Mary On 3/7/08 7:06 PM, "ann clavin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Dear Mary: > > I know that I would find it useful and probably other teachers on this > listserv if you coud further discuss what you have mentioned in your previous > email namely, "use active reading techniques such as hotseating and tableaux, > and interactive note-taking, etc." > > Thanks!~ > Ann Clavin > > Mary Dovey <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hi Jaime- > I used to feel the way you do, particularly when I was teaching high school > English. Now, I don't, and here's why: middle school is the place where > reading as a skill moves from decoding to comprehension very, very quickly. > Middle School reading teachers, besides teaching about literary genres, and > helping kids develop healthy independent reading habits, need to focus > largely on teaching comprehension skills to tackle difficult content area > textbooks, newspapers, magazines, and other materials in the world at large. > > Science, social studies, math and other content teachers, however, are held > responsible for making sure their students learn "the stuff" of their > disciplines, matter whether the learning is through reading, or hands-on > activities. Most content teachers, I think, would agree that they need to be > aware of techniques to assist their students in reading their textbooks. > Fortunately, many of our content teachers have asked me for help in ways to > build background knowledge, use active reading techniques such as hotseating > and tableaux, and interactive note-taking, etc. At the end of the day, > however, kids have to know the causes of the Civil War, fractions, and what > body part is which. > > Our role as writing teachers is even more important: We teach the > frustrating/exhilarating process of composing, the characteristics of > different writing genres and modes of writing, as well as the traits of all > good writing. Great writing teachers find wonderful models of good writing > in and use these to create skill lessons. They modeling writing ourselves, > provide regular, daily time to write, conference with their students, and > allowing kids to build portfolios of writing. We're less concerned with > product, and more with a child's skill development as s/he progresses from > one unit of study in writing to another. Content area teachers certainly > should provide their students with models of what good writing in their > classes looks like, but they're looking for product--the report on wind > energy, the comparison/contrast essay on healthy eating habits, etc. > > I think the role of a middle school reading/writing teacher is one of the > hardest in a school because many of the moves we teach, both in reading and > in writing, are invisible! Making thinking and decision making visible to > kids is a HUGE challenge, but it's also a blast, don't you think? > Mary > > > > > > On 3/7/08 7:41 AM, "Jaime Mendelis" wrote: > >> It's English/Language Arts (ELA) at our school. I find calling a class >> "Reading" or "Writing" frustrating. Aren't all teachers supposed to be >> teaching reading and writing? I find the overall assumption at my school is >> that the English teacher is responsible for all reading and writing >> instruction! It drives me nuts! >> >> Jaime >> >>>>> "Lucinda Marcello" 3/5/2008 8:39 PM >>> >> Language arts--- at our school. >> >> I prefer calling it reading and writing. >> Or maybe strategic reading and effective writing. Why not add a few >> adjectives? >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Mary Dovey" >> To: ; "A list for improving literacy with focus >> on middle grades." > >> Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 5:55 PM >> Subject: [LIT] Course names help >> >> >>> Hello, sorry for the cross posting, but I'm not sure who gets what these >>> days and I wanted to reach everyone. >>> >>> Our middle school principal would like to rename the two core subjects of >>> reading and writing that we currently teach under the umbrella term, >>> Communication Arts. This is due only to the fact that our students will >>> now >>> get a separate grade for each, not any dissatisfaction with Com Arts as >>> the >>> term. I've suggested the obvious: reading (since I want to continue >>> stressing to teachers that we are teaching reading, not just literature >>> and >>> literary analysis, etc.) and writing. Nothing fancy, nothing tough to >>> figure >>> out, very plain: reading and writing. >>> >>> What do your schools call these core subjects? As the literacy coach, I >>> need >>> to bring back info to him and thought I'd start with you kind folks. (I >>> think he thinks "reading" is too elementary, and I suspect I'll be able to >>> show him it's not.) Thanks. >>> Mary >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org >>> >>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. >>> >>> Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. >>> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >>> Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.21.1 - Release Date: 2/25/2008 >>> 12:00 AM >>> >>> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org >> >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. >> >> Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org >> >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. >> >> Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > > > > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. 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