I think I'm ready to articulate some thoughts now... especially since I had time to construct some of my own meaning from just returning from ASCD in New Orleans and pondering over some other things of particular import to me.
Literacy is life to me. I can't imagine any other concept other than food and oxygen that has a more profound impact on what we can and cannot do with life. If you think about what impacts learning (according to research, that is), it's socioeconomic status and education level of the parents. Both are contingent on our ability to think, see the big picture and understand. I always chuckle because when my twin daughters were born, one of the first things I said to my wife was, "They will be more than ready to read by Kindergarten." She would sometimes think it was cute when I would hold them on my lap and read to them at 3 weeks old. But boy has it paid off... especially with how she now reads to them (which is a story all its own for another thread). As I've reflected on my own literacy development, I was one of those kids that just "got it." I rarely studied for a test in school and consistently got "A's" because I could play the game, so to speak. I remember my grandmother, who was a librarian's assistant regularly sending me books to read, and my mother reading to me incessantly. I have always loved and appreciated the lilt of language, and it has translated itself into an insatiable curiousity for learning. A hallmark of this in my younger days was my seemingly annoying ability to ask questions often. I think I may have turned so many people off (including my teachers) because I was always looing for the why in everything. Perhaps I was seeking to understand. This quirk has become one of my greatest strengths in my learning arsenal as an adult. This regular curiousity has enabled me to regularly search for the "why" in my students, and now with the adults and teachers with whom I have the extreme pleasure of working. I think one of the many things you are saying in your book is that it's about how you get to the answer (if an answer is indeed the destination). One of my most recent projects is helping teachers understand that reading is a process that must be made public to students. Through many professional development opportunities, I have had the happy chance to help illuminate the sometimes dark passages of the reader's brain for teachers. Even today, I participated in a professional development session where a teacher was sharing with other teachers how she helped students see meaning in several pieces of expository text. As her supervisor, I had the pleasure (and advantage) of having watched her experiment with this process with her students and was so proud for the results. Here's what she did: 1. She read the text as a reader. She took a great deal of time trying to understand the text herself and the author's meaning from the text. 2. Looked at the organization of the text. She thought about...how can I use the organization to help the students construct meaning? 3. Engaged the students in a structured preview. Looked at the text as a whole (pictures, features, organization) and predicted...what do we think the author wants us to know about this entire text? She charted their thinking. She then repeated the process with each sub-heading in the text and charted the thinking. 4. The children then had a purpose for reading...to figure out whether or not their thinking was accurate (notice who set the purpose...the KIDS!). 5. The teacher then charted their thinking and learning. Using the subheading as a heading, she put the information that they learned under the heading. The students discovered that the author puts the main idea first and fills in with the details. 6. She then asked the students, do we need to remember all of this? Once the students discovered no, she then had them filter the information through the lens of "Essential, Important, and Good to Know." 7. She then asked students to take the essential learning and figure out a way to represent it and organize it so that they could remember it. This looks so simple when you look at it at first...however, the lesson took 4 days. But the thinking that occurred was monumental for her fourth graders. I was so proud and impressed that she did this and got to the levels of thinking that she did. She combined process with content acquisition while making her thinking transparent and real. One "Ah Ha" moment for me was that the teachers that were listening to her present said to me, "Wow...I never thought about charting the thinking like that!". How true! We often stick with strategy, and strategy is where it stops. How about being strategic about how you construct the learning experience, instead of using 'gimmicks' or 'glitzy tactics' that will not enable the reader to construct meaning themselves? I think the aforementioned teacher is seeing how to lead children to understanding...process, content, importance of content... and oh, the fervent learning that is going on .... on the part of the student and the teacher. It's truly poetry in motion. Ellin...thank you for putting to words that which has been so mysterious for so long. As I continue to read further, I realize that much of your work is a lot like Art Costa's work with "Habits of Mind." There is a direct correlation to habits of mind and what you've described through the lens of habits of mind of a reader. Oh the connections...they are so strong! Peter Carpenter Instructional Facilitator Maryland ----- 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
