Hopefully we'll all have a chance to benefit from the bib for the lit review??>
Date: Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:53:26 -0500> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL
PROTECTED]; understand@literacyworkshop.org> Subject: Re: [Understand] Sarah,
Audrey and the Hopper painting> > All right, Ellin. How about this one?> > I am
taking some very challenging coursework right now. The course is called
Disciplined Inquiry 1 and involves statistical methods and methods for
qualitiative and quantitative research. I started out completely intimidated by
the math and by the difficulties inherent in the reading I need to do for this
course. The text book is highly technical and we are reading just reams and
reams of additional research but with a critical eye. We are analyzing research
methodologies, critiquing researcher's interpretations and completing our own
literature review where we must identify gaps in the research. > > I haven't
worked so hard to understand something in my life, ever. I decided to pay some
special attention to what it is taking me to understand. > SO... yes, there are
many reading/thinking strategies...rereading, making connections and two column
notetaking figure heavily into my work...> > There has certainly been struggle
as I try to undestand, dwelling in ideas, rigorous discourse with classmates
and I do find myself looking for patterns. But the most interesting thing I
have noticed about my process for understanding...and I am not sure whether or
not it is a dimension or an outcome of understanding (I really don't think I
get that distinction yet...) ...is a feeling of efficacy. I feel a sense of
power that comes from my newfound knowledge. That "can do" feeling also comes
from the sense that now know I can tackle and master something that is
inherently difficult for me. I like reading research now and I like not
skipping over the methodology and the statistical analysis which used to mean
nothing to me. I like being able to see the strengths and weaknesses in a
particular research study and thinking about how it fits in with the broader
spectrum of research on a particular topic.> I think most of all, I like being
able to demonstrate for my students that yes reading strategies do work for
adults too...and that learning to read continues for adults. We all get better
and learn to understand more by exercising that muscle in your brain through
struggling to understand challenging material. It is worth the struggle... and
it feels GREAT! (Much to my own surprise!) > > Now I must go and read some
more...my literature review for my final paper will surprise no one who has
been on this list a while...Lesson study! :-)> > > Jennifer Palmer> Reading
Specialist, National Board Certified Teacher> FLES- Lead the discovery, Live
the learning, Love the adventure.> "Ancora Imparo." (Translation: I am still
learning.) Michelangelo at 87 years of age> > ________________________________>
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of Ellin Keene> Sent: Sat 11/29/2008 1:21
PM> To: understand@literacyworkshop.org> Subject: [Understand] Sarah, Audrey
and the Hopper painting> > > > Hi everyone;> > I just wanted to underscore the
important point Jan has made here. The> writing example she raises was really
the genesis for much of what we did at> the PEBC in Denver in the early years.
We spent time writing, sharing our> writing and refining it before
extrapolating lessons from our experiences> into the classroom. It not only
made the lessons so much more authentic, it> seemed to build on the real needs
writers have rather than on some> curriculum list that a publisher created.
It's not that some of those> skills aren't important, but are much more easily
taught and applied when> they come from the real experiences of the teacher,
first, and later, of> course, from the children. > > > > The same thing is true
in reading, but so much of our reading experiences> are cognitive and
therefore, not visible or audible and much tougher to> define and describe. As
you know, the Dimensions and Outcomes I describe in> To Understand came
directly from observing both teachers and children in the> process of coming to
understand. All I really did was to apply a set of> descriptors to what I
observed-those descriptors became the Outcomes and> Dimensions. I think the
potential that you all bring to this work is to> continually observe (yourself
and your kids) to discover Dimensions and> Outcomes I may have missed!! What do
you observe when you closely watch> yourself and/or your kids in the process of
understanding? If we can define> and describe those observations, we can
increase the likelihood that more> children will use them! I'd be curious to
hear if any of you have> discovered new Outcomes or Dimensions in your own
reading and/or in your> classrooms. . . .> > > > Very best,> > ellin keene> > >
> > > I think it is very important for teachers to experience the dimensions
of> understanding at a conscious level before trying to implement these ideas
in> the classroom. When we have experienced it, the experience becomes part of>
our schema. It helps us to understand what the students are going through> if
we go through it ourselves. The best teacher is experience. > > I was part of a
7 district collaborative on writing workshop. One of the> things the leaders
had us (coaches who were going to be training teachers)> do was to try the
lesson ourselves -at an adult level. We experienced what> it felt like to pick
a topic, find a great lead that hooks the reader, how> to observe and take
notes, etc... We also were asked to keep our own> writer's notebook -well,
that's what we asking the students to do. By> experiencing it ourselves, we
knew what it was like (at least for us). It> helps build empathy for the
student who has trouble picking a topic (it> wasn't all that easy for me).> > >
> Jan> > > > _______________________________________________> Understand
mailing list> Understand@literacyworkshop.org>
http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org> >
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