Sometimes I ask my 4th and 5th graders (usually the boys) what they spend the majority of their time doing (either in school or outside of school). This usually tells me what they are passionate about. I always use the example of Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods and LeBron James...they probably practice their sport at least 3 to 4 hours a day...if you wanted to be really good at Reading or Math or Cursive...would you be willing to practice 3 to 4 hours a day or at least give equal time on your Reading and Math compared to how much you watch TV, play video games or My Space? What they are passionate about gives me a starting point for their writing or a project. Do you think that they have already buried that wonder of childhood deep down inside of them, thinking maybe that it is not cool?
William Roberts wrote: > Great points, but the question remains on when that thinking begins. Have > they missed the boat? I always thought those ways of thinking are developed > in earlier grades....can they be developed in an 8th grader or 9th grader > whose developmental stages have come and gone? One of the reasons I love > teaching 8th grade is that I can see a lot of thinking developing and can > actually see them maturing during the year. This group just sits....and > sits some more....My goal for next grading period is to make sure they are > ready for the state test, but I'm going to lay the groundwork for their > final grading period which will be me asking what do they wonder about so > they can do multi-genre research reports. I've been setting the stage since > the first of the year, but they don't wonder about anything. I've had a > quote on the wall since the first of the year, "The secret to enjoying life > is to take an interest in it," so I'm trying... > Bill > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Renee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Listserv" > <[email protected]> > Sent: Saturday, December 23, 2006 10:49 AM > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] New problem.... > > > >> When there is time to ponder, and people don't feel like they need to >> rush through this thing to get to the next, then there is time for >> question after question to go deeper into the inferential and >> reflective areas. >> >> It is not surprising that students begin on the surface of anything, >> but in order to peel the layers back, there has to be engagement on >> both sides. Teachers need to ask more and better questions; students >> need to ponder and respond. >> >> Years ago in my 2/3 class I spent some time one day.... a significant >> amount of time.... having my students just ask questions about things >> they wondered about. At the end of well less than an hour, we had about >> ten chart papers covered with questions ranging from "How do dogs >> bark?" to "Where did God come from?" I am now teaching a once-a-week >> GATE pullout class. On the very first day I thought I would do this >> question gathering, then expand from there and have the students choose >> a topic/area for inquiry. In more time than I had spent with my 2/3 >> class, we ended up with well less than one-fourth of the questions. And >> this was the GATE group! Frankly, I was rather astounded. >> >> But it's even worse than we think..... >> >> Recently I was at a math conference in Monterey, and during dinner one >> night was seated with a man who teaches teachers at a state university >> in California. Specifically, he teaches a class called "Math for >> Elementary Teachers." I asked him how he's finding his students these >> days, and he said, "Dumber than ever." When pressed for details, he >> said more and more students don't think, don't want to think, don't >> read, can't write a paragraph or a grammatical sentence. They think >> they don't need to know any math because they are only going to teach >> elementary school. They've never read an "adult" book. etc. >> >> So back to the new problem at hand, I think that we as teachers should >> and can expect some surface responses, but we also need to learn to ask >> questions in such a way as to get deeper into inferential and deductive >> areas.... and just pure ponderings.... and this will never happen, in >> my opinion, when people are pressed to pass a test and when that test >> decides all. >> >> Unless we make it so. >> >> Renee >> >> >> On Dec 22, 2006, at 5:37 AM, William Roberts wrote: >> >> >>> Been there, done that. They don't hate either. They just lead >>> passionless >>> lives. The best they can come up with is, "It's stupid." or "That's >>> gay." >>> When I try to discuss WHY it's stupid, they can't go beyond the "gay" >>> thing >>> (which I hate so I ban the use of the word in class). >>> >>> We started with the reading strategies. We made the transition to >>> THINKING >>> strategies and I brought in movies, art, music, etc. to show that >>> EVERYTHING >>> requires thinking. On a literal level, they understand the concepts, >>> but >>> there's no thinking. Admittedly, there are a few, but I've never had >>> so >>> many who aren't.....actually, REFUSE...to think. Showed a painting by >>> Edward Hopper which usually illicits some feeling because of his use >>> of dark >>> colors and simple scenes, but instead of trying to think about what the >>> painting meant, they described the painting ("There's a chair, a open >>> door, >>> a staircase. Green curtains with yellow trim. I "think" someone >>> forgot to >>> close the door...." "Maybe the dog got out."). Previous years, there >>> were >>> discussions of what the door symbolized ("a new journey, a new life, >>> fear of >>> the unknown, do you stay or do you go? Reminds me of the poem >>> "Stopping by >>> Woods on a Snowy Evening" and Langston Hughes' poem, "Mother to Son." >>> the >>> staircase could be going up like a 'Stairway to Heaven?', etc.). This >>> group >>> could say it made them feel depressed, but then skip any discussion of >>> their >>> feelings and went straight to description. Some even went so fas as to >>> suggest the "author" should use brighter colors and paint something >>> else. >>> Rather than figure out why the painter painted it, they are so >>> egocentric as >>> to think the painter should paint it based on their recommendations! >>> >>> Funny thing, though. Their reading levels are 4-7 or better which is >>> kind >>> of low, but better than average for this age group, their fluency >>> levels are >>> right at where they need to be, and can answer almost any "right >>> there" or >>> "in the book" questions, but they can't infer or look at the big >>> picture. >>> >>> I'm thinking we have stressed "finding the answer" and "passing the >>> state >>> test" and "strategies" so much that maybe we have forgotten to teach >>> the >>> pleasures of learning. >>> >>> Bill >>> >>> >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "Joy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>> To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Listserv" >>> <[email protected]> >>> Sent: Friday, December 22, 2006 12:38 AM >>> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] New problem.... >>> >>> >>> >>>> William and Carolyn, >>>> I like Carolyn's suggestion, but would like to take it one step >>>> further. >>>> >>> Show them something you KNOW they will HATE. Hate is such a strong >>> emotion, >>> and very often kids can find lots of derisive things to say, >>> especially at >>> this age. It's not cool to have a favorite; if you pick the "wrong" >>> favorite, you subject yourself to criticism of your peers. Although >>> eighth >>> grade students say they want to be individuals, they really want to be >>> part >>> of the group, and will do almost anything to gain or maintain group >>> status. >>> >>>> >>>> Joy/NC/4 >>>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>> How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and >>>> >>> content go hand in hand. http://www.responsiveclassroom.org >>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> __________________________________________________ >>>> Do You Yahoo!? >>>> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around >>>> http://mail.yahoo.com >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> Mosaic mailing list >>>> [email protected] >>>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>>> >>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >>> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >>> >>>> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> No virus found in this incoming message. >>>> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >>>> Version: 7.1.409 / Virus Database: 268.15.26/597 - Release Date: >>>> 12/21/06 >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Mosaic mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >>> http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/ >>> mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. >>> >>> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >>> >>> >>> >> "El fin de toda educacion debe ser seguramente el servicio a otros." >> ~ Cesar Chavez >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Mosaic mailing list >> [email protected] >> To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >> > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > >> Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. >> >> >> -- >> No virus found in this incoming message. >> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >> Version: 7.1.409 / Virus Database: 268.15.26/598 - Release Date: 12/22/06 >> >> >> > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. 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