Catherine Interesting observation...so much of schooling has become a focus on "product". That's why I think To Understand is a radical shift in thinking. Instead of measuring understanding through a standardized test, or whatever other measure, this is all about teaching kids what understanding looks like, feels like, sounds like...and how they go about achieving understanding. I think it may also be addressing for kids WHY they should need or want to understand. I love reading about lessons going on in other classrooms---like Judy's and Jane's. When Upasana ( from Judy's class) teaches her peers about the nature of the conflict in her book, it sounds like there was deep understanding there. I can just imagine the follow-up with the class...how does knowing about the conflict change your thinking or your understanding of this story?And as Jane's kindergarteners use opportunities to share their thinking with each other about their dog story, already these little people are engaging in discourse about their ideas! (If you don't teach the littlest people, let me assure you, 5 year olds are often VERY deep thinkers because they always approach life with questions and with wonder. You know how questioning yourself often leads to inferential thinking! They just don't always have the adult language to express their ideas!) It is just as important to demonstrate for those K kids (and perhaps more important) as it is to show our older students that reading is about understanding and that talk is one way that we behave when we understand. If we keep on applying Ellin's ideas and continuously model the nature of understanding for all our students K-16...there will be no limits for our students. Jennifer In a message dated 4/19/2008 11:54:28 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
With only 2 1/2 chapters into To Understand, I continued asking the fundamental question, "What's essential in our schools today?" This is a question that encompasses all academic areas (I'm a big picture person). I realized most of us here are "process orientated" while much of education today is "product orientated". Reading Ellin's conversations with kids allows us to witness the process. The postings from the past few weeks celebrate the process the students and the teachers go through. While the product may be unpredictable and varied, we celebrate the learning that occurred along the way. This cannot be measured on standardized tests (we are in our 2nd week of testing). To Understand does include a framework but it is not a "How to teach literacy manual". It has us thinking, discussing, wondering, questioning, confirming, celebrating, learning and understanding. This is what education should be about. Unfortunately, so much has gotten lost with NCLB. I'm encouraged to hear that this book is being sold off the shelves. We are ready for the big shift in literacy instruction. (Embedded image moved to file: pic30333.gif) **************Need a new ride? Check out the largest site for U.S. used car listings at AOL Autos. (http://autos.aol.com/used?NCID=aolcmp00300000002851) _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list [email protected] http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
