An inspiring post. Thank you Sandra. This is what we should be focusing on! Sally
On 5/27/11 7:15 PM, "Sandra Stringham" <sos...@sbcglobal.net> wrote: > Its been a very long year and yet today I felt hope for my little ones. I > teach > a class of 33 at risk 1st grade students at a Title I school. I can't even > begin to describe the behavior and social issues I have faced this year that > interfered with learning and still interfere! Some I have never faced > before.....a long, long year...but today... > > I've been teaching about synthesis. We began with retelling as a step before, > then we moved into summarizing and now this week, by using a think aloud, the > kids observed last week that synthesis is changing your thinking as you read. > This week, using the book Jin Woo by Eve Bunting, with think aloud and > conversations, the students decided that synthesis was changing your thinking > as > you read and using your synthesis. I asked the students to draw a picture of > what synthesis meant to them. Here are a few highlights: > > One student (and this was a student that had severe behavior issues and I was > happy if she held a book in her hand, right side up, earlier in the year) > said: > I think synthesis is changing our ideas and what we know in our schema. I > told > her I hadn't thought of that before...but she is right...sometimes we have the > wrong idea in our schema, and as we read, we have to change that as well. I > told her how smart her thinking was!!! Her smile could light the room!!! > > Another student--one who used to sing and hum through readers workshop- > compared > synthesis to adding details to your writing. As you read, you are adding to > your schema-the details that make the story bigger-so your thinking gets > bigger. And when you use your schema-you get smarter! > > A 3rd student said when you synthesize...your schema gets bigger, too. > > Another student (1 of the 24 I had on intervention plans) drew a picture of a > person growing from a baby to an adult...just stick figures, but you could > clearly see the progression. She said synthesis is like growing up. You > change > as you grow and learn and as you synthesize, your thinking gets bigger and > bigger. > > Finally, one student compared synthesis to planting a seed. Your first > thinking > is like planting the seed. Then just like the seed begins to grow, so does > you > 2nd thinking (her words)....then your 3rd thinking (her words) she compared it > to the flower that the seed grew into. She drew a picture of the seed...the > seedling....the full plant...and labeled it with the synthesis stages. > > So.....with 1 more week to go....today made it all worthwhile. Through it > all, > I guess I was reaching them. > > I just wanted to share because we had some behavior issues in the afternoon > that > really brought me down...and I wanted to end my day...remembering the great > things they can do. Why we persevere-it makes it all worthwhile! > > Sandi > Elgin, IL > > And I'm going to sign my name for the first time as: > > National Board Certified Teacher-Literacy; 2010 > > (Hey...I never get to do that---so humor me!) > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > 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 Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org 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.
