As I look back on this past semester, I can't help but get excited for the future. My focus, for much of the past couple months, has been on literacy and the tools and resources to bring literacy education alive in my classroom. When I say alive, I mean really ALIVE! I have been learning and thinking hard about how to make my lessons relevant and authentic for students. What kinds of products do I want them to create to show their learning? Why is this product important in their lives and in the world? These have become my two biggest guiding questions as I think about the kinds of literacy lessons I want to share with my future students.
Not only have I been thinking about the product but also the process each learner takes to get to their goals. The most important change I have seen in myself as a teacher, this past semester, is the way I think about assessment in the classroom (especially assessing writers). I have become much more focused on what they do while they are learning. Then, I take this information and I think about what they are showing me they know and can do, plus where we could go next. Individual conferences, of all types, have become increasingly important to me. Since conferencing aligns with many of my teaching beliefs and helps me learn so much about my students, they will hold a very special place in my future classroom.
As I reflect on myself as a teacher, I am becoming more and more comfortable in my role. I now have articulated my beliefs and made them public, I have shared my true feelings about topics that relate to literacy in a real world arena (my blog), plus I have had many professional discussions/ debates with fellow classmates where I felt strongly enough to disagree. I consider these experiences evidence, which show my growth as a professional and as a teacher of literacy. I know I will never be done learning and honing my skills as a teacher, but I feel like my time spent reading, thinking, teaching, and reflecting has shaped my beliefs and passion for teaching. A passion which will continue to guide my work with students.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Teacher Tool Box: Technology!
This teacher tool overwhelms me but greatly excites me at the same time. Having just recently (in the last 12 months) bought and started using a smartphone, I feel behind the times....already. I invested in a smartphone and an iPad tablet at the same time. I decided it was time to join the tech world and why not jump into the deep end?
I am so incredibly intrigued by the iPad and the possibilities it provides in the classroom. There are apps for literally everything and if there isn't one right now, wait just a couple hours or a couple days and it will be there. No longer is teaching about finding materials and resources to use but rather sorting through the endless ocean of resources and possibilities. This can be good and bad. I feel it is my job to find and provide the very best of the best to my students. This includes resources and materials they will be using but also behind the organizational and classroom management curtain.Engagement and excitement for learning are big deals to me and I am beginning to see technology as a tool to encourage this kind of passion in the classroom. Since students will be coming to the classroom with more and more tech knowledge from the outside world, it is my job to provide opportunities to explore tech in the classroom, as well. Part of my beliefs as a teacher include publishing and creating for an authentic audience. What could be more authentic than the entire world? The internet is a place these student live and will increasingly spend time inhabiting. Why not meet them where they are and encourage productive and innovative interactions in cyberspace?
Along with authentic audiences, I am a supporter of (and incredibly passionate about) design education and its implications for developing successful members of an innovative and creation based society. How can we get students to see that their time in cyberspace is more than just fun and games? I think by having them create authentic products and sharing them with authentic audiences. I want students to understand from a very early age, their activities online are not just for them to see but for almost anyone. Why not harness this capability-instead of scare them, empower them to see technology as a way to make social change?
Technology I am currently crushing on:Diigo- A place to organize and store all your bookmarks from the web. Professional readings, activity ideas, etc. I am still thinking about how I might have students use this resource for themselves.
Twitter- I just signed myself up for a professional twitter account. I think this has a ton of possiblitieis for my growth as an educator. I am currently looking for great educators to follow. Let me know if you have a twitter and I will be sure to look you up. You call your username a "handle"... right? I am also seriously considering how I will integrate twitter into my classroom. I like the idea of tweeting as part of a book group format. Let me know what you think and how you use twitter in your classroom.KidBlog.com- I recently heard about a Kindergarten teacher using Kidblog in her classroom. The kids were loving it and were crafting some really amazing posts. What a cool opportunity for kids and such a great resource for parents to connect with their students education. I am looking forward to exploring more of this website.
Images-
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Diigo.svg
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Twitter_icon.png
http://learningservicesnvsd44.edublogs.org/2012/02/06/primary-students-explore-ipad-technology/
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Teacher Tool Box: The Instructional Conversation as a Tool
This past semester I was introduced to an important tool in the classroom...the instructional conversation. When I first heard the name and began to think about the concept, my first reaction was "Oh...ok so we provide information to students in an informal setting where we encourage conversation." Um...No-not quite. Looking back now after having practiced and analyzed my own instructional conversation with students, I see that it is much more than encouraging conversation.
This tool is one that can serve many purposes in the classroom. The first that comes to mind is to create a community of learners. I know that if I have set the classroom expectations and created a foundation of trust and warmth, students will be more likely to participate in classroom discussions. These discussions could be done in the instructional conversation style. By involving all students and making them feel their thoughts and opinions are valued in the classroom, talk between students will increase and their learning will as well. Peter Johnston introduced me to the term and idea of a dialogic classroom in his book, Opening Minds.
He says, "A dialogic classroom is one in which there are lots of open questions and extended exchanges among students. These are not classrooms based on the delivery of facts. They are classrooms in which there are multiple interpretations and perspectives-classrooms in which facts are considered in different contexts and in which people challenge each other's views and conclusions" (Johnston, 52). If this doesn't scream community of learners I don't know what does. This kind of teaching excites me and hopefully the students in my future classroom.
Another purpose for engaging in instructional conversations is to help students develop a critical literacy lens and identity when it comes to reading text but also the world around them. The topic of critical literacy is a big one and one that I would like to explore in a blog post in the near future (so stay tuned) but I like to think of it as thinking critically about the power relationships, perspectives, and positioning that are presented in text. By having students converse about what they see and notice, their worlds will be enlarged and enriched. The teacher talk during these conversations needs to be present in order to get the conversation started and moving in a some what focused direction. These snippets of teacher talk (and they should be snippets...I'm working on this part) are an opportunity to pose questions to students to get them thinking critically about what they are being asked to assume about the people and world around them. Whether these people exist in a fictional text or an informational video, students should be given tools to talk with people around them and express their opinions and findings. This is how we ensure our students have a voice in the classroom and in the world. These young, critical voices can make great change.
As a tool in the classroom, instructional conversations can serve many purposes (I didn't even scratch the surface). Most important to me is that students understand they are in an environment where their voice matters and where they can explore topics, with their classmates, on a deeper level. Giving students spaces in the classroom to communicate and try on a critical lens will serve them for the rest of their lives.
This tool is one that can serve many purposes in the classroom. The first that comes to mind is to create a community of learners. I know that if I have set the classroom expectations and created a foundation of trust and warmth, students will be more likely to participate in classroom discussions. These discussions could be done in the instructional conversation style. By involving all students and making them feel their thoughts and opinions are valued in the classroom, talk between students will increase and their learning will as well. Peter Johnston introduced me to the term and idea of a dialogic classroom in his book, Opening Minds.
He says, "A dialogic classroom is one in which there are lots of open questions and extended exchanges among students. These are not classrooms based on the delivery of facts. They are classrooms in which there are multiple interpretations and perspectives-classrooms in which facts are considered in different contexts and in which people challenge each other's views and conclusions" (Johnston, 52). If this doesn't scream community of learners I don't know what does. This kind of teaching excites me and hopefully the students in my future classroom.
Another purpose for engaging in instructional conversations is to help students develop a critical literacy lens and identity when it comes to reading text but also the world around them. The topic of critical literacy is a big one and one that I would like to explore in a blog post in the near future (so stay tuned) but I like to think of it as thinking critically about the power relationships, perspectives, and positioning that are presented in text. By having students converse about what they see and notice, their worlds will be enlarged and enriched. The teacher talk during these conversations needs to be present in order to get the conversation started and moving in a some what focused direction. These snippets of teacher talk (and they should be snippets...I'm working on this part) are an opportunity to pose questions to students to get them thinking critically about what they are being asked to assume about the people and world around them. Whether these people exist in a fictional text or an informational video, students should be given tools to talk with people around them and express their opinions and findings. This is how we ensure our students have a voice in the classroom and in the world. These young, critical voices can make great change.
As a tool in the classroom, instructional conversations can serve many purposes (I didn't even scratch the surface). Most important to me is that students understand they are in an environment where their voice matters and where they can explore topics, with their classmates, on a deeper level. Giving students spaces in the classroom to communicate and try on a critical lens will serve them for the rest of their lives.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
How's It Going? My 1st Conferences with Young Writers
This week I am so excited to announce....I gave my very first whole-group lesson- a writing lesson at that! I know to many seasoned teachers this sounds silly- I know you do this everyday, all day long. Just try to remember back to the day you did your first- nerves, excitement, and fear that you wouldn't get in all that you wanted to teach. Will the students understand my expectations? Will they be motivated and excited to initiate learning?
For my wonderful group of 6th graders, I decided on a persuasive writing lesson. I started by reviewing the basics, which they were pretty familiar with. From here, I introduced their first choice. A persuasive letter or persuasive essay was their first choice. We started a discussion in class to iron out the differences between both. We talked about "our readers"- which format would reach your desired audience best? Why would you choose one over the other? Does your format depend on your topic? What were the expectations for the letter, for the essay? These were some of the questions they explored during our class discussion. From there, I provided the students a graphic organizer to help them get their topic, thesis, audience, and evidence in order. I explained my expectations and provided them a rubric to guide their work. Then...I STEPPED BACK and let them WORK! This was hard! The whole first work day, I wanted to jump in and pester them about their work. Circulating did prove to be helpful to some students as they were developing and brainstorming for a topic of their choice, but for some they just wanted to be on their own.
The rest of the week they were given work time during our Daily 5 rotations. This gave me the opportunity to move around the room and conference with different students each day. Wow is all I can say.... After watching and reading endless conferencing videos and articles in my college teaching classes, I was finally doing it on my own. I was using a system that was kind of a hybrid. I was using a conferencing form from Carl Anderson's book I have mentioned many times before, Assessing Writers. Below is a picture of my conference forms. I copied them on a different colored paper so they would be easy to find in a pile of papers or among other assessment forms on my clipboard. The different colored paper worked very well for me because I was able to grab a new conference sheet quickly when moving from student to student.
I decided on an organizational system similar to those I had seen in many videos. I am so proud my system worked so well for me.
As I sat on my living room floor, that first night, I spread out all my papers and looked back at my scribbled notes and the checklist I had created. I knew more about my students tonight, than I had that morning. The feeling was one of satisfaction and excitement- my conferences had worked!
I seriously can't believe the amount of information I learned about each of my students from a single writing conference. Through conversation, I learned that K has great knowledge of persuasive language but could benefit from a lesson on writing conclusions. I learned A has incredible skills when it comes to organization but could benefit from a lesson on diversifying transition words. I learned O tends to think longer about her writing before starting but when she does she has an incredibly witty voice. I learned M finds a graphic organizer helpful before he writes, while H likes to write a draft before going back to reorder his thoughts. This invaluable information would have been lost to the universe had I just assigned them the work and scored the results.
"With all the pressure we feel today as teachers to raise test scores and get students to meet standards, it's all too easy to forget to communicate how much we care about them as people and as writers. It's easy to see only the work and not the young writers who are doing it" (Anderson 172). This quote guided me as I began my first writing conferences. Through personal conversations about writing, I learned so much about my students strengths and struggles. While all this information is important to guide my future instruction, it was the conversation- the little, quiet one-on-one moment in an otherwise busy, noisy day that made the conference so special to me. I loved being able to attend to just one student and give them my undivided attention. I hope this was as special for them as it was for me. "By truly listening as we confer with children about their writing, we let them know that the work they're doing matters" (Anderson, 173). To me, this is one of the most important messages to convey to our students if we want them to initiate writing. After this experience, there is no doubt in my mind, I will be using conversations like this in my future classroom.
For my wonderful group of 6th graders, I decided on a persuasive writing lesson. I started by reviewing the basics, which they were pretty familiar with. From here, I introduced their first choice. A persuasive letter or persuasive essay was their first choice. We started a discussion in class to iron out the differences between both. We talked about "our readers"- which format would reach your desired audience best? Why would you choose one over the other? Does your format depend on your topic? What were the expectations for the letter, for the essay? These were some of the questions they explored during our class discussion. From there, I provided the students a graphic organizer to help them get their topic, thesis, audience, and evidence in order. I explained my expectations and provided them a rubric to guide their work. Then...I STEPPED BACK and let them WORK! This was hard! The whole first work day, I wanted to jump in and pester them about their work. Circulating did prove to be helpful to some students as they were developing and brainstorming for a topic of their choice, but for some they just wanted to be on their own.
The rest of the week they were given work time during our Daily 5 rotations. This gave me the opportunity to move around the room and conference with different students each day. Wow is all I can say.... After watching and reading endless conferencing videos and articles in my college teaching classes, I was finally doing it on my own. I was using a system that was kind of a hybrid. I was using a conferencing form from Carl Anderson's book I have mentioned many times before, Assessing Writers. Below is a picture of my conference forms. I copied them on a different colored paper so they would be easy to find in a pile of papers or among other assessment forms on my clipboard. The different colored paper worked very well for me because I was able to grab a new conference sheet quickly when moving from student to student.
As I sat on my living room floor, that first night, I spread out all my papers and looked back at my scribbled notes and the checklist I had created. I knew more about my students tonight, than I had that morning. The feeling was one of satisfaction and excitement- my conferences had worked!
I seriously can't believe the amount of information I learned about each of my students from a single writing conference. Through conversation, I learned that K has great knowledge of persuasive language but could benefit from a lesson on writing conclusions. I learned A has incredible skills when it comes to organization but could benefit from a lesson on diversifying transition words. I learned O tends to think longer about her writing before starting but when she does she has an incredibly witty voice. I learned M finds a graphic organizer helpful before he writes, while H likes to write a draft before going back to reorder his thoughts. This invaluable information would have been lost to the universe had I just assigned them the work and scored the results.
"With all the pressure we feel today as teachers to raise test scores and get students to meet standards, it's all too easy to forget to communicate how much we care about them as people and as writers. It's easy to see only the work and not the young writers who are doing it" (Anderson 172). This quote guided me as I began my first writing conferences. Through personal conversations about writing, I learned so much about my students strengths and struggles. While all this information is important to guide my future instruction, it was the conversation- the little, quiet one-on-one moment in an otherwise busy, noisy day that made the conference so special to me. I loved being able to attend to just one student and give them my undivided attention. I hope this was as special for them as it was for me. "By truly listening as we confer with children about their writing, we let them know that the work they're doing matters" (Anderson, 173). To me, this is one of the most important messages to convey to our students if we want them to initiate writing. After this experience, there is no doubt in my mind, I will be using conversations like this in my future classroom.
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
An Alphabetic Artform
The past couple weeks my literacy class has been conversing about writing- how to go about deciding what makes good writing and how to assess student writing. In class, our instructor showed us two samples of student poetry and opened discussion by informing us the grade each student received for their work. We were all stunned... The piece which had less emotion, feeling, and voice was the poem given an A. The poem which used a scarce amount of words but expressed the most emotion was given an F. This got all of us thinking (and talking)! How is it that the student who elicits the greatest emotional response gets an F while a humdrum retelling of a life moment receives an A? We could only conclude that the teacher was assessing off a rigid rubric which didn't award points for style or voice.
This example from class got me thinking long after we dismissed for the night. To be quite honest, it worries me... I worry that as a new teacher my assessment of a students writing will be confined to a prescribed rubric where risk taking and artistry are not rewarded but, like in this case, punished. How do we get students to initiate writing for their own purposes when we are failing them for trying something different? How boring would the world of books and articles be if all authors stuck to a rigid framework for composing? Since when has writing become getting words on paper instead of eliciting feelings from readers? Now I must say, I am not someone who would describe myself as a writer... by ANY means! However, the more I write the more confident I become with the task. Anyways back to the point, I am no amazing writer, but I can say I believe writing is an art form much like painting or sculpting (these areas I do feel more confident to claim as my own).
My question in all of this mumbling about myself is... How and when are we going to look at writing and see that not only do we use it to relay information, but we use it to make the reader feel something? Obviously, well-known New York Times bestsellers know this or they most likely wouldn't be on the bestseller list. When are we going to introduce this concept to our students? Couldn't this be used as a motivating technique? For some assignments there are no rules (within reason)- take risks, do something new, invent a genre, invent words (Dr. Seuss did after all). This kind of creative freedom should be a focus in and of itself. In order to develop voice in student writing we need them to feel safe taking risks and free to express themselves in their own way. Isn't this "their voice" after all? Carl Anderson writes in Assessing Writers, "Good writers create the sense that they are having an intimate conversation with their readers"(Anderson, 92). I would agree with this statement and go on to mention another quote, "creating voice by creating intimacy with readers" (Anderson, 92). This intimacy comes when students are encouraged to initiate writing that is important to them. Let them tinker- see words as their tools- manipulate sentences to work for them. Giacometti would not have been the sculpture he was had he never been left alone in the studio to tinker and experiment with materials. Why do we insist that students manipulate and create the way everyone else does? Or the way standards and politicians have decided is the right way? Let them explore the world of writing with fresh and young eyes.
Since reflecting and thinking more deeply about writing assessment, I want to work to create a classroom framework to guide my writers. Three broad expectations that I want them to keep in mind when composing their writing. The first- Make "Me" Feel Something! (me being the reader). The second- Try Something! (something being a risk, a new sentence structure, a different perspective, etc.) I haven't developed the last one because this has been harder for me to pin down than I had originally thought. Maybe I don't need three broad expectations.
In reality, I know it comes down to attaching a grade to a paper. How will I do this? I do not yet have a solid answer to that question. I will look to see if they have thought about the three broad expectations, but I will also use what I know about the writer and our conversations to guide my assessment. Ultimately, I need time in a classroom, with real writers, who have real questions, producing real work to know exactly what it is I value in student writing. I would like to think more about writing portfolios and holistic grading but that is another post for another day. If you have any insights on my thoughts, I welcome all opinions and ideas!
This example from class got me thinking long after we dismissed for the night. To be quite honest, it worries me... I worry that as a new teacher my assessment of a students writing will be confined to a prescribed rubric where risk taking and artistry are not rewarded but, like in this case, punished. How do we get students to initiate writing for their own purposes when we are failing them for trying something different? How boring would the world of books and articles be if all authors stuck to a rigid framework for composing? Since when has writing become getting words on paper instead of eliciting feelings from readers? Now I must say, I am not someone who would describe myself as a writer... by ANY means! However, the more I write the more confident I become with the task. Anyways back to the point, I am no amazing writer, but I can say I believe writing is an art form much like painting or sculpting (these areas I do feel more confident to claim as my own).
My question in all of this mumbling about myself is... How and when are we going to look at writing and see that not only do we use it to relay information, but we use it to make the reader feel something? Obviously, well-known New York Times bestsellers know this or they most likely wouldn't be on the bestseller list. When are we going to introduce this concept to our students? Couldn't this be used as a motivating technique? For some assignments there are no rules (within reason)- take risks, do something new, invent a genre, invent words (Dr. Seuss did after all). This kind of creative freedom should be a focus in and of itself. In order to develop voice in student writing we need them to feel safe taking risks and free to express themselves in their own way. Isn't this "their voice" after all? Carl Anderson writes in Assessing Writers, "Good writers create the sense that they are having an intimate conversation with their readers"(Anderson, 92). I would agree with this statement and go on to mention another quote, "creating voice by creating intimacy with readers" (Anderson, 92). This intimacy comes when students are encouraged to initiate writing that is important to them. Let them tinker- see words as their tools- manipulate sentences to work for them. Giacometti would not have been the sculpture he was had he never been left alone in the studio to tinker and experiment with materials. Why do we insist that students manipulate and create the way everyone else does? Or the way standards and politicians have decided is the right way? Let them explore the world of writing with fresh and young eyes.
Since reflecting and thinking more deeply about writing assessment, I want to work to create a classroom framework to guide my writers. Three broad expectations that I want them to keep in mind when composing their writing. The first- Make "Me" Feel Something! (me being the reader). The second- Try Something! (something being a risk, a new sentence structure, a different perspective, etc.) I haven't developed the last one because this has been harder for me to pin down than I had originally thought. Maybe I don't need three broad expectations.
In reality, I know it comes down to attaching a grade to a paper. How will I do this? I do not yet have a solid answer to that question. I will look to see if they have thought about the three broad expectations, but I will also use what I know about the writer and our conversations to guide my assessment. Ultimately, I need time in a classroom, with real writers, who have real questions, producing real work to know exactly what it is I value in student writing. I would like to think more about writing portfolios and holistic grading but that is another post for another day. If you have any insights on my thoughts, I welcome all opinions and ideas!
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Learning to Think-Aloud
This past week has been one of great growth for me as a teacher. I got the opportunity to videotape one of my first lessons and watch it back, all the while thinking about myself as a teacher- strengths and weaknesses. Another great element to this experience was the fact that I decided to try out a think-aloud for my videoed lesson. My literacy learning class has been talking a lot about think-alouds and their power in the classroom. Until now, I had never done a planned think-aloud and was nervous I wouldn't know what to say or how to execute in a helpful way to students.
I decided that one good way to prepare myself was to spend the week leading up to the think-aloud, thinking a lot about my own thinking while reading. It is amazing the things you learn about yourself as a reader when you engage in metacognition and make it a point to focus on your thinking. This preparation was incredibly helpful, and I plan to continue thinking about my own thinking in order to inform later think-aloud sessions. For the lesson, I led a small group of 6th graders through a picture book text, while scaffolding their use of a graphic organizer to record their thinking while reading. I provided a graphic organizer to make their monitoring of thinking before, during, and after reading permanent and public. This, monitoring thinking during reading, is a strategy that we are working on in the classroom, and I wanted to provide a little more instruction and support in our small group. I chose the book The Three Questions: Based on a Story by Leo Tolstoy, written by John J. Muth. This text has a complex message but an easy to follow sequence which I felt would support my students early adaptation of the strategy and graphic organizer. As I read the text aloud to the small group, I stopped at places in the text where I wanted to stress my thinking during reading. I chose places where I could think-aloud about how my thinking had changed from the beginning of the book. I also chose spots where I was confused or had questions. During these short discussions I asked students to offer suggestions for strategies we could use to "figure it out". They offered ideas like, rereading, reading on to clarify, and looking at the pictures. These discussions and thinking-aloud about strategy served as a great model for students to do in their own reading. I could tell by the middle of the text they were beginning to record their own thinking on the graphic organizer and had a lot of thinking to share with the group. This should have been my clue to let them take the reigns, but I continued to talk, read, and think-aloud.
I know that one of the most important elements of the think-aloud is the gradual release of responsibility stressed by J. Wilhelm in his book, Improving Comprehension with Think Aloud Strategies. This is where I struggled. Having a limited amount of resources (only one book) I had an issue with handing over the text to allow students the opportunity to read and think-aloud. Looking back the students were recording their thinking on their graphic organizer but their voices were not being heard in the group setting until sharing time. This did NOT help create a feeling of exploring the text together. Being able to watch the lesson and think-aloud session on video helped me see where I could have gradually release responsibility to the students and this has informed my instruction for next time. Being the first time I tried this out, I had a feeling this would be the area I would struggle the most. However, I am more aware of my students abilities and areas I can work on for next time.
Doing a think-aloud is tough the first time and I assume the next couple times will be as well. Over time, I can see this becoming like second nature to me. I think this is the ultimate way to model thinking and strategies for students. It also has helped me understand my own thinking process which will help me relate to my students in the future. I found the resource below very helpful while learning about and preparing for my first think-aloud. While this graphic was not included in Gretchen Owocki's text it does organizer the thinking stems by the reading strategies mentioned in her book, Comprehension. This is a helpful resource for me while still getting used to the think-aloud format.
I would like to end by commenting on the importance of book choice. This semester, one of my professional goals is to get better at finding, choosing, and implementing great mentor texts in the classroom. In the article Examining Multiple Perspectives with Creative Think-ALouds by Hani Morgan and Kathleen York in The Reading Teacher from December 2009/ January 2010 the authors discuss book choice for creative think-alouds. They write, "Choosing the right books, raising core questions, and juxtaposing diverse points-of-view that represent multiple perspectives are just a few ways to support new learning with creative think-alouds" (Morgan & York, 308) I found a blog which will serve as an invaluable resource as I work on finding and using incredible mentor texts. The blog is, Teach Mentor Texts and I highly suggest taking some time to explore her archives and find mentor texts for all kinds of think-alouds.
I decided that one good way to prepare myself was to spend the week leading up to the think-aloud, thinking a lot about my own thinking while reading. It is amazing the things you learn about yourself as a reader when you engage in metacognition and make it a point to focus on your thinking. This preparation was incredibly helpful, and I plan to continue thinking about my own thinking in order to inform later think-aloud sessions. For the lesson, I led a small group of 6th graders through a picture book text, while scaffolding their use of a graphic organizer to record their thinking while reading. I provided a graphic organizer to make their monitoring of thinking before, during, and after reading permanent and public. This, monitoring thinking during reading, is a strategy that we are working on in the classroom, and I wanted to provide a little more instruction and support in our small group. I chose the book The Three Questions: Based on a Story by Leo Tolstoy, written by John J. Muth. This text has a complex message but an easy to follow sequence which I felt would support my students early adaptation of the strategy and graphic organizer. As I read the text aloud to the small group, I stopped at places in the text where I wanted to stress my thinking during reading. I chose places where I could think-aloud about how my thinking had changed from the beginning of the book. I also chose spots where I was confused or had questions. During these short discussions I asked students to offer suggestions for strategies we could use to "figure it out". They offered ideas like, rereading, reading on to clarify, and looking at the pictures. These discussions and thinking-aloud about strategy served as a great model for students to do in their own reading. I could tell by the middle of the text they were beginning to record their own thinking on the graphic organizer and had a lot of thinking to share with the group. This should have been my clue to let them take the reigns, but I continued to talk, read, and think-aloud.
I know that one of the most important elements of the think-aloud is the gradual release of responsibility stressed by J. Wilhelm in his book, Improving Comprehension with Think Aloud Strategies. This is where I struggled. Having a limited amount of resources (only one book) I had an issue with handing over the text to allow students the opportunity to read and think-aloud. Looking back the students were recording their thinking on their graphic organizer but their voices were not being heard in the group setting until sharing time. This did NOT help create a feeling of exploring the text together. Being able to watch the lesson and think-aloud session on video helped me see where I could have gradually release responsibility to the students and this has informed my instruction for next time. Being the first time I tried this out, I had a feeling this would be the area I would struggle the most. However, I am more aware of my students abilities and areas I can work on for next time.
Doing a think-aloud is tough the first time and I assume the next couple times will be as well. Over time, I can see this becoming like second nature to me. I think this is the ultimate way to model thinking and strategies for students. It also has helped me understand my own thinking process which will help me relate to my students in the future. I found the resource below very helpful while learning about and preparing for my first think-aloud. While this graphic was not included in Gretchen Owocki's text it does organizer the thinking stems by the reading strategies mentioned in her book, Comprehension. This is a helpful resource for me while still getting used to the think-aloud format.
I would like to end by commenting on the importance of book choice. This semester, one of my professional goals is to get better at finding, choosing, and implementing great mentor texts in the classroom. In the article Examining Multiple Perspectives with Creative Think-ALouds by Hani Morgan and Kathleen York in The Reading Teacher from December 2009/ January 2010 the authors discuss book choice for creative think-alouds. They write, "Choosing the right books, raising core questions, and juxtaposing diverse points-of-view that represent multiple perspectives are just a few ways to support new learning with creative think-alouds" (Morgan & York, 308) I found a blog which will serve as an invaluable resource as I work on finding and using incredible mentor texts. The blog is, Teach Mentor Texts and I highly suggest taking some time to explore her archives and find mentor texts for all kinds of think-alouds.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Critical Literacy as Inquiry
Recently, I have decided to dig a little deeper into critical literacy- its definition, pedagogical implications, purpose, and most especially what it looks like in the classroom. My interest in the topic comes from volunteer work I have been doing with a group of upper elementary girls each week. We meet, read and talk about a book we have decided on together, and respond in authentic and different ways at each meeting. The selection of books I tend to "book talk" (and ultimately have the girls choose from) have strong female characters that exhibit different traits which make them strong girls or women. These books usually deal with or discuss what we call "tough topics". These tough topics lead us to incredible, critical conversations about our world and the things happening in our characters lives which connect to our own.
Behind the scenes, as I like to call it, I am purposefully exposing the girls to literature which makes them think critically about their world and the kinds of relationships dynamics that exist. When I choose a book I am thinking about the 3Ps- power, perspective, and positioning. How is the character positioned in relation to the other characters in the book and/or the society in general? What perspective/s are represented? Which voices are missing from the text and what is the author's purpose in doing this? How does the author position the characters in the book or even us as the reader? What is the reader assuming about us as the reader? These are just a couple examples of the kinds of questions that guide me as I select books for our group.
By digging deeper, I mean I am going to be completing an inquiry project based on critical literacy and how I could potentially implement it in my future classroom. I plan to read professional textbooks and published articles on the topic to gain a better understanding of its definition, purpose, and application. Major contributors to the world of critical literacy include: Vivian Vasquez, Mitzi Lewison, Christine Leland, Jerome Harste, and Patrick Shannon among many, many others. These professionals will make up the majority of my professional reading.
My plan is to compile a pin board on Pinterest which displays the online resources I have explored, professional texts I have/ plan to read, plus a potential text set which could be used in an upper elementary grade to encourage critical literacy talk in the classroom. This text set will include both picture books, graphic novels, and chapter book selections. Since I believe students learn best when they are asked to complete projects and activities that are purposeful, have real world applications, and result in authentic products this is a natural way to align my beliefs with practice. The real, authentic conversation begins with modeling and questioning by teachers- opening the eyes and minds of the students. I foresee this kind of class discussion taking awhile to take root but once it does I imagine the possibilities are endless. The product of this kind of talk in the classroom are students that are prepared for the twenty-first century and have the skills to think critically about their world and ultimately make change.
Behind the scenes, as I like to call it, I am purposefully exposing the girls to literature which makes them think critically about their world and the kinds of relationships dynamics that exist. When I choose a book I am thinking about the 3Ps- power, perspective, and positioning. How is the character positioned in relation to the other characters in the book and/or the society in general? What perspective/s are represented? Which voices are missing from the text and what is the author's purpose in doing this? How does the author position the characters in the book or even us as the reader? What is the reader assuming about us as the reader? These are just a couple examples of the kinds of questions that guide me as I select books for our group.
By digging deeper, I mean I am going to be completing an inquiry project based on critical literacy and how I could potentially implement it in my future classroom. I plan to read professional textbooks and published articles on the topic to gain a better understanding of its definition, purpose, and application. Major contributors to the world of critical literacy include: Vivian Vasquez, Mitzi Lewison, Christine Leland, Jerome Harste, and Patrick Shannon among many, many others. These professionals will make up the majority of my professional reading.
My plan is to compile a pin board on Pinterest which displays the online resources I have explored, professional texts I have/ plan to read, plus a potential text set which could be used in an upper elementary grade to encourage critical literacy talk in the classroom. This text set will include both picture books, graphic novels, and chapter book selections. Since I believe students learn best when they are asked to complete projects and activities that are purposeful, have real world applications, and result in authentic products this is a natural way to align my beliefs with practice. The real, authentic conversation begins with modeling and questioning by teachers- opening the eyes and minds of the students. I foresee this kind of class discussion taking awhile to take root but once it does I imagine the possibilities are endless. The product of this kind of talk in the classroom are students that are prepared for the twenty-first century and have the skills to think critically about their world and ultimately make change.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
A Reflection Over the Shoulder
The
formal miscue analysis takes a lot of time and training to be able to
catch every miscue and code each in a specific way as to remember
exactly what the reader did or said. I have found this process time consuming and, at times, frustrating, anxiety ridden, and in the end the data sometimes
overwhelmed me about a single student. Until now, I had never heard of
the Over the Shoulder Miscue Analysis format. I much prefer this format to the formal
miscue format!
Reflecting back on the process, I felt more relaxed and I think this transferred to my student reader, as well. She had moments of nerves but for the most part she seemed open and accepting of the process. Since my previous miscues were done with primary grade students, I didn't know what to expect from a more advanced reader. I have to admit I was a bit skeptical that I would gain much data from a 6th grade, proficient reader. I knew she would have very different miscues than a primary grade student but I wasn't quite sure what kind. At first, this made me nervous that I would have trouble designing a next-step strategy for a mini-lesson. Wow, was I wrong! Performing the OTSMA instead of a formal miscue gave me focused, narrow data which helped me decided easily what should come next in the reader's instruction. Since I didn't have every single miscue recorded and coded and hadn't spent my time worrying about getting everything down exactly right, I was able to focus on the reader and what I knew about her. I was also able to listen and communicate in a way that helped me gain great insight into her strategy use and confidence. Instead of worry about filling out the recording template, I was zoned in on the reading and retelling for the substance rather than the data facts.
The conversation following the miscue is where I think I had the most success. Since my reader had very few miscues and none that went uncorrected, I decided to spend most of our time talking about the retelling and the kinds of strategies she uses to comprehend what she reads. This is where most of my teaching came in. We talked about rereading, visualizing, and making meaning as ways to better ourselves as readers. This part, the conversation, is what attracts me the most to the OTSMA. Since I believe students learn best when they have positive, trusting relationships with their teachers, this is one of the first steps to that kind of relationship. This conversation, centered around the students strengths and strategies as a reader, leads to rapport with the student. In order for students to feel comfortable taking academic risks and making academic choices, they need to feel comfortable discussing their strengths and miscues. This kind of talk encourages students to take responsibility for their education and begin thinking about themselves as readers and thinkers- the kinds of strategies they use, what is important to them, their strengths and areas to work on improving, etc. To me, this is an important skill for students to carry with them throughout their educational careers and ultimately their lives. In the future, I can see myself using this tool as a way to find out valuable information about my students but also introduce authentic conversation into the classroom.
Reflecting back on the process, I felt more relaxed and I think this transferred to my student reader, as well. She had moments of nerves but for the most part she seemed open and accepting of the process. Since my previous miscues were done with primary grade students, I didn't know what to expect from a more advanced reader. I have to admit I was a bit skeptical that I would gain much data from a 6th grade, proficient reader. I knew she would have very different miscues than a primary grade student but I wasn't quite sure what kind. At first, this made me nervous that I would have trouble designing a next-step strategy for a mini-lesson. Wow, was I wrong! Performing the OTSMA instead of a formal miscue gave me focused, narrow data which helped me decided easily what should come next in the reader's instruction. Since I didn't have every single miscue recorded and coded and hadn't spent my time worrying about getting everything down exactly right, I was able to focus on the reader and what I knew about her. I was also able to listen and communicate in a way that helped me gain great insight into her strategy use and confidence. Instead of worry about filling out the recording template, I was zoned in on the reading and retelling for the substance rather than the data facts.
The conversation following the miscue is where I think I had the most success. Since my reader had very few miscues and none that went uncorrected, I decided to spend most of our time talking about the retelling and the kinds of strategies she uses to comprehend what she reads. This is where most of my teaching came in. We talked about rereading, visualizing, and making meaning as ways to better ourselves as readers. This part, the conversation, is what attracts me the most to the OTSMA. Since I believe students learn best when they have positive, trusting relationships with their teachers, this is one of the first steps to that kind of relationship. This conversation, centered around the students strengths and strategies as a reader, leads to rapport with the student. In order for students to feel comfortable taking academic risks and making academic choices, they need to feel comfortable discussing their strengths and miscues. This kind of talk encourages students to take responsibility for their education and begin thinking about themselves as readers and thinkers- the kinds of strategies they use, what is important to them, their strengths and areas to work on improving, etc. To me, this is an important skill for students to carry with them throughout their educational careers and ultimately their lives. In the future, I can see myself using this tool as a way to find out valuable information about my students but also introduce authentic conversation into the classroom.
Thinking back about the miscue
analysis session as a whole, the scenario was completely different from my
first time. I allowed my reader to bring her independent
reading book (Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins) instead of choosing the text for her. I'm wondering if this played a role in our miscue
analysis and later in our conversation?
Does it make a difference that she was near the end of the book rather
than at a different place in the text? I
also have been reflecting on the fact that I had previously read the book
myself. Would I have gathered the same
data about the retelling had I not read and comprehended the book myself? This
could affect whether or not I allow students to use their independent reading
books for miscue analysis in the future.
Also, what affect does the fact that she read the other books in the
series have on the data collected about her retelling? Would she have had more miscues if she
weren’t as familiar with the tone, style, and vocabulary used in the previous
two books? Finally, does any of this really matter? Should I be focusing instead on what happened
during the ten-minute session? How much
do these outside circumstances affect the data collected during the session?
Thursday, February 13, 2014
From MINE to OURS!
When contemplating my beliefs and how to align my practice with those beliefs, the environment I create in my classroom becomes very important. As a future teacher, I often find myself daydreaming about how my classroom might look. What will be adorning the walls, how will the furniture and reading nooks be setup to get students excited about reading and learning? Over the last couple years, these daydreams have been filled with bulletin board ideas, cute and comfy reading beanbags, and countless other things I think will make my classroom feel welcoming. Missing from this daydream...my students ideas and feelings about the space. Granted, I do not have my own students quite yet, but I have realized it is important to begin reflecting and planning how I will make my classroom, our classroom. This idea of our classroom, unfortunately and strangely hadn't occurred to me. I thought I would walk in and "put up" all the things I thought were important and fill in with my students work. I now feel I would have been going about it all wrong.
I want to create an environment where my students feel ownership over and responsibility for our classroom. I plan to do this by asking them how they would like certain things setup in the room, where they think the most logical location for our supplies would be, or where seems the most comfortable place to put our rug for a meeting area. In Teaching with Intention, Debbie Miller talks a lot about creating an environment that is aligned with your beliefs. She stresses that the environment you create should communicate your beliefs to those who spend even a couple minutes in your room. Since reading Miller's ideas about environment, my understanding has evolved to a place where I now feel strongly that students' voices should be heard even when they have long since gone home for the day. These voices will be heard by looking around the room and seeing all the student work, ideas, creativity, and thinking that has been made public.
Since I believe students learn best in an environment which is warm and homey, I will create a space which feels organized and logical. I want them to know what to expect each day when they come in and feel that they can count on the same routines and traditions to follow us through the year. This, to me, feels like a family- a home. I my family, routines and traditions are what hold us together and this will serve the same purpose in my classroom. The warmth in the environment will not only radiate from me as the teacher with a passion for teaching and learning but from the interactions between children. They will know they are loved and respected in our community and family of learners.
Since I believe students learn best in an environment that reflects them and their classmates, I am taking a page from Debbie Miller's book once again. Debbie Miller proposes a challenge to all teachers when she writes, "That's why on the first days of school the classroom walls, bulletin boards, and doors will be almost bare. That's as it should be! Don't jump in and 'put stuff up' just to make yourself feel better. Be Patient. Wait" (Miller, 42). I am still reflecting on this idea but have come to really appreciate what the blank bulletin board could represent. The excitement of walking into your new classroom and looking around to find colorful yet blank bulletin boards. Could this work? I think yes! With one comment, during morning meeting, about how we are going to fill our boards with so much fun, exciting, and challenging learning- the students will be itching to get started. This is my hope at least.... Besides, who doesn't love the look and feel of freshness. To me this sounds mysterious and exciting!
Below I have included a hand-drawn (not to scale...are you kidding me... I left design school a long time ago!) depiction of my dream classroom. The spaces, resources, and nooks I have been daydreaming about for the last however many years. Now I realize, this "dream" of a classroom won't necessarily be feasible when I actually walk into that first classroom, but a girl can dream can't she? The red dashed line represents the easy walking paths I have considered for facilitating desk work and over the shoulder conferring. I know it is small and in pencil but I am hoping my ideas are clear and, one day when you walk into our classroom, my beliefs will be this clear, as well.
Let me know your thoughts about my diagram. Offer advice or suggestions from your experience that might help me to better meet the needs of my students. I would love to hear whatever you have to offer!
I want to create an environment where my students feel ownership over and responsibility for our classroom. I plan to do this by asking them how they would like certain things setup in the room, where they think the most logical location for our supplies would be, or where seems the most comfortable place to put our rug for a meeting area. In Teaching with Intention, Debbie Miller talks a lot about creating an environment that is aligned with your beliefs. She stresses that the environment you create should communicate your beliefs to those who spend even a couple minutes in your room. Since reading Miller's ideas about environment, my understanding has evolved to a place where I now feel strongly that students' voices should be heard even when they have long since gone home for the day. These voices will be heard by looking around the room and seeing all the student work, ideas, creativity, and thinking that has been made public.
Since I believe students learn best in an environment which is warm and homey, I will create a space which feels organized and logical. I want them to know what to expect each day when they come in and feel that they can count on the same routines and traditions to follow us through the year. This, to me, feels like a family- a home. I my family, routines and traditions are what hold us together and this will serve the same purpose in my classroom. The warmth in the environment will not only radiate from me as the teacher with a passion for teaching and learning but from the interactions between children. They will know they are loved and respected in our community and family of learners.
Since I believe students learn best in an environment that reflects them and their classmates, I am taking a page from Debbie Miller's book once again. Debbie Miller proposes a challenge to all teachers when she writes, "That's why on the first days of school the classroom walls, bulletin boards, and doors will be almost bare. That's as it should be! Don't jump in and 'put stuff up' just to make yourself feel better. Be Patient. Wait" (Miller, 42). I am still reflecting on this idea but have come to really appreciate what the blank bulletin board could represent. The excitement of walking into your new classroom and looking around to find colorful yet blank bulletin boards. Could this work? I think yes! With one comment, during morning meeting, about how we are going to fill our boards with so much fun, exciting, and challenging learning- the students will be itching to get started. This is my hope at least.... Besides, who doesn't love the look and feel of freshness. To me this sounds mysterious and exciting!
Below I have included a hand-drawn (not to scale...are you kidding me... I left design school a long time ago!) depiction of my dream classroom. The spaces, resources, and nooks I have been daydreaming about for the last however many years. Now I realize, this "dream" of a classroom won't necessarily be feasible when I actually walk into that first classroom, but a girl can dream can't she? The red dashed line represents the easy walking paths I have considered for facilitating desk work and over the shoulder conferring. I know it is small and in pencil but I am hoping my ideas are clear and, one day when you walk into our classroom, my beliefs will be this clear, as well.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Your Beliefs- They Will Guide You
As I sit here at my kitchen table, looking out at the snow covered neighborhood, I feel a sense of disappointment (no- not just for the immense amounts of snow). I was so excited to get up early this morning and get ready to meet my practicum classroom of sixth graders. I suppose I can wait a couple hours until this late start goes by.
I can't help but think this is the day my career really begins. This is the first day I meet my real students and come face to face with their energy, enthusiasm, frustrations, and struggles. With this late start, it gives me the opportunity to sit here (with my coffee of course) and reflect on the last couple semesters and the incredible journey I am about to embark upon.
With the big ideas from class still bouncing around in my head, I keep thinking about formulating and putting down in writing my teaching beliefs and philosophies. What a better time than right now!
I am going to use this post to get all my ideas out there and then pick through the mess to find the gems, which will become my guiding beliefs.
First and foremost- I believe ALL students can learn. The big ideas I develop below will support this most important belief.
Relationships: I believe positive, trusting relationships in the classroom lead to academic risk-taking and improve students' feelings about their worth as individuals and their self-efficacy as learners.
Environment: I believe students learn best in a warm, homey environment where they feel loved and know they are respected. The environment is not one that is mine (the teacher) but ours. Students feel most at home in a classroom that reflects them and their classmates, where they feel they have some ownership and hold responsibilities to the rest of the classroom community.
Instruction: I believe students learn best when they are asked to complete projects and activities that are purposeful, have real world applications, and result in authentic products. Learning in the classroom should focus on deriving meaning from text.
Instruction: I believe students learn best when they are taught how to make academic choices and required to take gradual responsibility for their learning. For this to be true, I must provide ample time and space for inquiry, curiosity, and imagination.
Assessment: I believe I learn the most about my students when I engage in one-on-one conferences in the classroom. This conferencing serves as a means of formative assessment and allows me to plan future instruction which meets my students where they are and focus on what they know and can do.
Wow...as I look back at what I just wrote, I didn't expect it to come pouring out like it did. As I said above, I thought I was just going to write down some big ideas and try to sort through to find the gold. Well... I guess I had more solid beliefs than I thought. I know these six beliefs will be rewritten, revised, and ultimately change a great deal once I spend more time in the classroom. I can't help but feel a sense of amazement and pride that over the last three semesters I have learned and absorbed so much that I am able to sit here today, on the first real day of my life as a teacher, and spew out my beliefs so readily. I'm excited to see what my new sixth graders have in store for me. This will be quite the learning experience!
I can't help but think this is the day my career really begins. This is the first day I meet my real students and come face to face with their energy, enthusiasm, frustrations, and struggles. With this late start, it gives me the opportunity to sit here (with my coffee of course) and reflect on the last couple semesters and the incredible journey I am about to embark upon.
With the big ideas from class still bouncing around in my head, I keep thinking about formulating and putting down in writing my teaching beliefs and philosophies. What a better time than right now!
I am going to use this post to get all my ideas out there and then pick through the mess to find the gems, which will become my guiding beliefs.
First and foremost- I believe ALL students can learn. The big ideas I develop below will support this most important belief.
Relationships: I believe positive, trusting relationships in the classroom lead to academic risk-taking and improve students' feelings about their worth as individuals and their self-efficacy as learners.
Environment: I believe students learn best in a warm, homey environment where they feel loved and know they are respected. The environment is not one that is mine (the teacher) but ours. Students feel most at home in a classroom that reflects them and their classmates, where they feel they have some ownership and hold responsibilities to the rest of the classroom community.
Instruction: I believe students learn best when they are asked to complete projects and activities that are purposeful, have real world applications, and result in authentic products. Learning in the classroom should focus on deriving meaning from text.
Instruction: I believe students learn best when they are taught how to make academic choices and required to take gradual responsibility for their learning. For this to be true, I must provide ample time and space for inquiry, curiosity, and imagination.
Assessment: I believe I learn the most about my students when I engage in one-on-one conferences in the classroom. This conferencing serves as a means of formative assessment and allows me to plan future instruction which meets my students where they are and focus on what they know and can do.
Wow...as I look back at what I just wrote, I didn't expect it to come pouring out like it did. As I said above, I thought I was just going to write down some big ideas and try to sort through to find the gold. Well... I guess I had more solid beliefs than I thought. I know these six beliefs will be rewritten, revised, and ultimately change a great deal once I spend more time in the classroom. I can't help but feel a sense of amazement and pride that over the last three semesters I have learned and absorbed so much that I am able to sit here today, on the first real day of my life as a teacher, and spew out my beliefs so readily. I'm excited to see what my new sixth graders have in store for me. This will be quite the learning experience!
Monday, January 27, 2014
Why Blog About Literacy?
Literacy is such an important aspect of elementary education and the strategies and skills related to literacy can benefit students in all academic areas. As I move through my teacher education program, I can't help but have a desire to reflect and organize my thoughts related to literacy. By developing this blog I will be able to record my exploration, understanding and growth when it comes to teaching literacy skills. Over the next 15 weeks, I will be using my interests in literacy to direct me to a topic for further inquiry. I am excited to see my interests and philosophy about literacy education develop as I read related articles and textbooks. My posts will include my experiences working with students in the classroom, my reactions and interpretations of assigned and free reading texts, and answers to specific prompts from class which will get me thinking about my own feelings regarding literacy. Lastly, I hope to use my blog to connect with other professionals in the blogosphere and learn their ideas and strategies for teaching literacy in the elementary grades.
Let me know if you have any questions or comments. I always welcome your ideas and personal experiences related to teaching literacy!
Libby
Let me know if you have any questions or comments. I always welcome your ideas and personal experiences related to teaching literacy!
Libby
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