Oh, yes, Dana, now you're talkin'. I love your specific examples (although I was rather hoping your preference would come down to conversation, LOL) and know this must be how our kids feel. Now you've got me thinking about the child who looks dumbfounded as she says incredulously to her friend, "You liked that one?" It is about what we like, isn't it? Then, of course, what we like changes over time and space. So our job is to make 'em like it, LOL. I know how much my kids love it when I bring in a new book and say, "Wilhemina, I bought this book because I was thinking of you. I thought you'd be interested... and you may be the first to read it if you'd like." In fact, I just picked up a book about world wonders thinking of a particular student in my class this year--who will get it first. How I hope to inspire just an ounce of that fervency you describe. Judy BTW, "fervency" is in Merriam-Webster, but "fervor" is more common.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Dana Williams" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "listserve" <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, April 06, 2008 10:40 AM Subject: Re: [Understand] Metacognitive look at chapter 2 > Judy - you and the others who posted in response to Jennifer's question > are making me re-think my disconnect with my School Law class. I'm now > thinking of the importance of self-selected reading in a student's ability > to understand. For my master's degree, I've taken many courses and been > forced to read many books I may not otherwise have chosen. I'm thinking > of 2 classes on opposite ends of my understanding continuum: > 1. School Finance - a topic I was never interested in before and had > virtually no schema for when we started the class. Now, after completing > the course, I could tell you how schools are finance, why the school > finance system in Illinois is so unequitable, how state funding is > computed..... not only COULD I tell you, but I would WANT to. I find it > fascinating and I derive such pleasure knowing that I was able to make > sense of something that I knew nothing about before. > 2. School Law - I could tell you the outcome of the landmark cases > affecting our school system, and I could tell you how our constitutional > rights affect us at teachers and administrators, and we could discuss > teacher tenure laws in Illinois. But would I WANT to discus this? Nope. > It's not interesting to me, and although I'll probably remember it, I have > no real desire to learn more. I'd say I understood it, but only because > I'm a conscientious student and I felt that I had to make myself > understand. > > What's the difference between these two classes that were essentially > foreign to me? Not my schema or BK, as I had none for both. Essentially, > the only difference is topic. One I was interested in (I'm a bit of a > logic-brained, numbers person) and one I was not. And that, it seems, > made all the difference in the world in the degree of my fervent desire to > learn. > I would venture a guess that you're exactly right, Judy, that the exact > same principle would apply to our students, and that we need to allow our > students to choose readings that will help create, for the, a fervent > desire to learn. And, more importantly, when we observe this fervency > (still not sure if that is word), we need to acknowledge it, talk about > it, and celebrate it! > > Dana Williams > > > > Fascinating thinking, Dana and June! I wonder how Ellin would explain the > difference in our engagement with self-selected vs. required reading. > > True story: my family will not let me forget that on the day I graduated > from UCLA, I said, "Finally, I can read what I want." This is not to say > that I experienced none of Keene's outcomes in my college days, but it > does > tell you about the power of self-selection for this reader. > > As I teacher, I must assign reading. I choose text for guided reading > hoping to prompt engagement and discussion, but the texts are still my > choice. Again, I wonder how Ellin would explain the difference in our > engagement with self-selected vs. required reading. > > Judy > > > _______________________________________________ > 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 _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list [email protected] http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
