I too love Ellin's question...For me, a good question to start with is, "What do you think the author wants you to know from this text?" After students guess, then they can read to find out. :)
I have more to share, I'm just still trying to craft my thinking... You've really, really moved us all forward, Ellin; and for that, I thank you! Peter Carpenter ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ellin Keene" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 12:15 PM Subject: Re: [Understand] Cindy's dilemma >I have had so many experiences similar to the one Cindy describes with her > 6th graders where we talked about what it means to understand and it > becomes > very circular or very author-based rather than reader-based. Finally I > started to ask kids to recall a time when it had been very difficult for > them to learn something -- in school or out and I give a few examples. > Then > I ask them to think about the moment when the fog began to clear and they > were first able to begin to understand. What happened right then, in > their > minds? in their lives? > > As you'll see later in the book, the chapters are divided up by the kinds > of > things we may experience in our lives (behaviorally) when we're > understanding and (in the last chapter) what may happen in our minds as a > result of using the comprehension strategies. I love to co-create a class > definition with kids -- some of my ideas, some of theirs. Nancy makes a > key > point, though, and that is that there is no one list, no one definition -- > it really is something that I imagine will change each year for different > groups of kids. My list of Dimensions and Outcomes isn't the "right" list > at all. It's just based on my observations and reading as well as > scrutinizing my own reading and understanding in other areas of my life. > > I loved Amy's idea at the end of this post. I think it's great just to > collect their emerging ideas on chart paper throughout the year, whenever > new observations about the nature of understanding dawn on them! > ellin > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 10:00 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Understand Digest, Vol 1, Issue 6 > > Send Understand mailing list submissions to > [email protected] > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org > > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > You can reach the person managing the list at > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Understand digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. an intellectual history ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) > 2. Re: Understand Digest, Vol 1, Issue 5 ( Cindy & Ryan Pickering) > 3. Re: Understand Digest, Vol 1, Issue 5 (Nancy Hagerty) > 4. Re: what does it mean to UNDERSTAND? (Amy Swan) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:29:52 EDT > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [Understand] an intellectual history > To: [email protected] > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" > > Wow! Some great discussion so far! > > I have been thinking about some of my own "intellectual history" and I > really can think of only two episodes before my college days. I had a > young, male > (a real novelty in my elementary school) student teacher who was > experimenting, I think, with writer's workshop. For the first time in my > schooling, I had > a choice about what to write about and I can remember being very > frustrated > > as Mr. Colbert kept sending my back to rewrite and rewrite again. It was > a > struggle to understand what was wrong with my work. I realize, now, that > Mr. > Colbert was trying to get me to make decisions about my writing...not > tell > me > what to write. I can remember the satisfaction I felt when I turned in my > final piece, even before Mr. Colbert told me I could be a writer someday. > I > > didn't need the complement...I already KNEW I had done well. > > In college, I had a freshman seminar with a classics professor, Dr. Sider. > We were to develop our own philosophy of education and then design our > college > education (what courses to take) based on our own philosophy. I can > remember > loving and yet being very frustrated by Dr. Sider. He was always > questioning, taking things deeper by asking me always to justify and > explain > myself. He > would send us away with a writing assignment and then we'd always come > back > > to discuss and take our ideas deeper. I always left that class feeling > both > elated and exhausted. > > Recently, I have a professional colleague who, I realize now, does the > same > > thing for me...gentle nudges to think more deeply about things I am > passionate > about...things I thought I understood. Emails fly back and forth and this > colleague very patiently reads them all and answers, sometimes > extensively...other times with an article to think about or a question or > two...a nudge that > keeps me thinking. > > There are some commonalities in these experiences for me... I realize that > writing figures heavily in my most memorable learning experiences. There > is > > struggle...but it is supported struggle. There is/was quiet time to > think, > > reflect and write and then someone to talk to about my thoughts. And > yes...there > is joy....after the struggle...a feeling of accomplishment that I finally > do, at last, understand at least a little better than I did before. > > I think we, as teachers, need to think about these times in our own lives > and the conditions our teachers set up for us when we felt that joy which > comes > from deep understanding. Armed with this information, I think we have a > great chance for really improving our schools in a meaningful way. > Keep the posts coming! > Jennifer > > > > **************Create a Home Theater Like the Pros. Watch the video on AOL > Home. > (http://home.aol.com/diy/home-improvement-eric-stromer?video=15?ncid=aolhom0 > 0030000000001) > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:44:10 -0700 > From: " Cindy & Ryan Pickering" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [Understand] Understand Digest, Vol 1, Issue 5 > To: <[email protected]> > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > > > I asked my 6th graders today what it means if a book "makes sense" or "do > you understand". The majority thought it wasn't a good question :) Most > of > their answers involved things like: Do you know what the book is about? > Does the book stay on topic? Is it too easy or too hard? Do I get the > point of the book? The person asking doesn't understand the book. > I tried to pinpoint them more on what "understand" and "getting it means", > but we mostly went in circles. It was interesting to hear their thoughts. > I'd like to find a way to word the question better and see if I can get > them > to think deeper about it. > Cindy > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:23:50 -0400 > From: "Nancy Hagerty" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [Understand] Understand Digest, Vol 1, Issue 5 > To: <[email protected]> > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII > > Cindy wrote: > > I'd like to find a way to word the question better and see if I can get > them > to think deeper about it. > > Cindy, I think that is the beauty of the question, it can't be reworded. > It > has to stand as is. "Understand" means different things to each of us at > different times. THINK about how many times we, as teachers say those > words...to our children...to our peers...colleauges, etc. The complexity > of > it lies within its simplicity. Jamika wa s "right on." Many of my first > graders answered with ideas surrounding decoding. For many of them the > struggle is still just figuring out what the word actually says. They > really believe that if they could just "read" it they would be able to > understand it. Now we all know that isn't true. My more sophisticated > readers attempted a more complex response, but they kept coming back to > the > word UNDERSTAND. After much discussion they finally were able to > articulate > that it meant knowing what the author was trying to tell them. Now that > is > a loaded statement and they certainly don't yet understand the different > levels of the author's message, but the conversation was priceless. My > kiddos know that there is a certain expectation with reading now. It is > not > enough to word call. The Reader must engage with the text before, during > and after reading. We all shine at different parts of this process, but > together we come to "understand" just a little it better each day. > > Nancy > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:19:50 -0500 > From: "Amy Swan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [Understand] what does it mean to UNDERSTAND? > To: <[email protected]> > Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII > > Cindy wrote: > I'd like to find a way to word the question better and see if I can get > them > to think deeper about it. > > Nancy wrote: > I think that is the beauty of the question, it can't be reworded. It has > to > stand as is. "Understand" means different things to each of us at > different > times. > --- > As a result of reading those posts, I'm thinking how interesting it would > be > to pose this question to students at different times throughout the year > and > to keep their responses in a portfolio. I'm sure we would uncover some > fascinating patterns of thought and intellectual growth! > > Children are our very best teachers! :) > > Amy Swan > 3rd Grade Teacher > Cedar Creek Elementary > (913)780-7360 > CHECK OUT OUR CLASS WEBPAGE!! http://teachers.olathe.k12.ks.us/~aswancc/ > > ********************************************************************** > CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This message is from the Olathe District Schools. > The message and any attachments may be confidential or privileged and are > intended only for the individual or entity identified above as the > addressee. If you are not the addressee, or if this message has been > addressed to you in error, you are not authorized to read, copy or > distribute this message or any attachments. We ask that you please delete > this message and any attachments and notify the sender by return email or > by > phone (913) 780-7000. > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Understand mailing list > [email protected] > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org > > > End of Understand Digest, Vol 1, Issue 6 > **************************************** > > > _______________________________________________ > Understand mailing list > [email protected] > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list [email protected] http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
