Hi Everyone, Just got back from Chicago where I saw Ellin give her workshop. It really was great and I understand this book a lot better. I am trying to catch up on the list, and WOW- very deep conversations.
I practiced Open Forum with my class before I went and got an opportunity to see Ellin do it. I guess I don't give enough think time either. This chapter really made me think about probing more and I saw how Ellin probed the kids. She got them comfortable working together, and then told them she wanted it to go deeper. She really got the results she wanted from kids she had not met before. As in the book, I think I need to dig deeper with my kids and stress the quiet think time to hear that voice in their heads. I have a question for Bonita, I read the post below (from a few days ago), and you had a lot of phrases that I wasn't sure what they meant. I wondered if you could tell me a little more about what they meant. Thanks, Linda Buice Bonita wrote: Here are just a few of the text/learning connections that are happening for me: Eye to Eye, Smart Art, Kaplan's Gate icons, Flow, and To Punish With Rewards. Each of these other texts has been huge in my life, and Keene is tying them all together and making my brain buzz. (And those are just a few that have come up.) I think about room environment (gosh, with 35 big fifth graders it is hard to comfortably find that gathering spot to talk and read); using art to push comprehension (I didn't realize how much I was doing that when I used Smart Art--Keene's ideas will help me to better focus that energy); Gate icons (we certainly see how using these icons with ALL children shows the magnificent thinking some of our lowest readers are doing--we also see how the icons--like the strategies--can end up being used in a thin manner, not really aiming for understanding--so Keene's ideas have me rethinking my use of GATE techniques); Flow was an all time favorite book _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list [email protected] http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
