This chapter has so much that it has been difficult for me to determine what is most important.
On page 105 Ellin wonders whether anyone would be interested in her writing. PLEASE continue to write and think about comprehension. When I first read Mosaic of Thought, I finally discovered explicit instruction for my mini lessons. But as I continued to develop the mini lessons, I felt something was missing. I continue to think about how to help my students "understand", to become passionate about ideas and thinking. This book helps me clarify my thinking, but also confirms that I am not alone in my concerns and wonderings. So, thank you, Ellin, for soldiering on through a your struggle, though as I read, I only see your clarity and humor coming through. Distinction between students go beyond reporting to explaining their thinking. Comprehension strategies are TOOLS for understanding text. Essential content distinguished from tools to understand the content, ie. graphic organizers, pair share, etc. The above remind me of the importance of crucial staff development. I have been asked to create think alouds for teachers for next year. While I am flattered that someone thinks I can even do that task, I have serious concerns about it. How will teachers understand the thinking behind the lesson? How will they realize the idea that students need to use certain tools to come to understanding and not as an end? Without the discussion and thinking about what it really means to understand, to use comprehension strategies, will the lessons be any better than a basal? I feel that much of the lessons will be misunderstood especially because I'm not sure I'll get time with teachers to talk about my thinking behind the lesson and text selected. As a language arts content specialist, staff development is my biggest obstacle. I also question the writing of the lessons themselves. I was asked to follow the Schoolwide Enrichment Model to be implemented in grades 3-5. Every day the read aloud consists of a Book Hook, a think aloud that is designed to introduce students to a wide variety and level of texts. While that is important, I worry that the lessons will not go deep enough with the comprehension strategies. I am fortunate that we have a curriculum scope and sequence that is similar to the essentials that Ellin mentions. However, that may change next year when an outside consultant will be brought in to work with teachers and review our current materials. I'm really struggling with doing what is most helpful to teachers that will lead to more effective comprehension instruction. The six systems readers use to understand text has huge implications for teachers. It can lead to more effective conferencing with students if teachers have introduced the language of each system. One of our schools focused on fluency this year as a building goal. The first grade students made great gains in fluency, but I wonder if that came at the cost of comprehension. We did track the fluency, but it's difficult to effectively track comprehension at first grade. Yes, we do use Rigby, but even that is subject to teacher interpretation. As a district curriculum specialist, I have been told that explaining surface structure and deep structure would put most of our primary teachers over the edge. Again, it goes back to staff development. If teachers could read "To Understand and had the time to discuss the ideas, it would help them understand comprehension and would impact their teaching. The pragmatic system would be one area that I would focus on if I had a classroom. Too often, I expected my students to write about their thinking, rather than giving them the time to DISCUSS their thinking. I wanted "accountability." How would I be able to assess students' work if I didn't ask them to provide a product? I wish I had come to this understanding earlier so I could have spared my students from so much writing! While I decreased the writing every year, I still didn't give students enough time to talk about their reading. Carol K-8 Language Arts Content Specialist La Grange, Il > > **************Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking > with > Tyler Florence" on AOL Food. > (http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4&;? > NCID=aolfod00030000000002) > _______________________________________________ > 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
