I can't log into Moodle this morning... but can log in to Blogger, so all is not lost. It's week four, and time to reflect on the literacy aspect of this unit as a whole. The first thought that comes to mind is how inspired I am to pursue this aspect of teaching much, much further. It is such an incredible thought to think that it is not too late to address a student's literacy skills once they reach secondary school. And it is not too late to inspire reluctant readers. I think what has been really outstanding about this unit is that it has demonstrated how effective its own principles are in the way that the coursework was delivered and the assessments were designed. I really wanted to read the material. I wanted to write the blog - mainly because it was so clear to me that it was my own ideas and learning and how I engaged with the material that was going to be most valued. This is a rarity, but it shouldn't be!
I find myself wishing I had time to do more. To read other people's blogs - because I've discovered there are many teachers and writers from all over the world blogging about this very subject - and I really look forward to reading them. I think that Professor Lowe's tutorial and Chris Tovani's book are an excellent starting point. Already their principles have entered into my thinking about how to plan lessons and assessments that enhance real learning. And I know this is just the beginning. My fervent hope is that I remember how strongly this course and the time I spent speaking with Don has made me feel about the importance of being a teacher who NOTICES things, CARES about them, and DOES something. I don't want to be a teacher who takes the easy way, and lets the "invisible" kids slip through the cracks.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
The Tovani Finale (Ch 8 & 9)
The chapter on assessment was another which I read with great interest, as this is one of the more alarming aspects of the role I am about to undertake. How on earth do I set assessments? How do I mark them? Even more frightening, how do I do either of these things in a way which is worth a damn to my students or to me as a teacher? Tovani raises the point that teachers want to know "...how I can tell if my students are improving as readers" and says that she as a teacher wants to "assess my students' thinking in a way that informs my teaching". Yeah. What she said.I loved the quote from David Perkins that says "...inert knowledge is the knowledge equivalent of a couch potato: It's there, but it doesn't move around much or do anything." This quote made me laugh out loud - and it's so true of so much of the way that knowledge is taught and assessed.
I thought the idea of "Conversation Calendars" was a great one, an excellent way of getting to know students and finding out what they care about in order to help them see how the work they do in class connects to their lives. "Reading Response Logs" - helping students get better at reading, writing, and thinking by reading, writing, and thinking. Seems so obvious when it is illustrated in this way. A "File Folder Collection of Work Samples" - collecting throughout the year especially selected pieces of work which give a piece of the puzzle as to who our students are. And final examinations which explicitly examine metacognitive processes. Testing what they have learned about their own reading and learning processes. What a great idea! I really appreciated the importance of getting students to share their thinking - so valuable for them as learners, and so valuable for us as learners about learners.
And then the piece de resistance: "Base your assessment on what you value". I remember Dr Shann saying just that. And then I thought about this very unit of work and how it is being assessed. I realise how much I have enjoyed this unit. How very, very valuable blogging has been as a means of contemplating readings and tutorials, how validated I have felt as a learner by being able to express exactly what I have thought (not what I am expected to have remembered), and how all this has really enabled me to engage with the material I am being asked to consider. I have really enjoyed it, and I have learned a lot by thinking about the material. Lol! There it is. Just what Tovani is saying. In a nutshell.
Three things are highlighted in the concluding chapter of the book. Firstly, "...focus on what is important and, as much as possible, ignore the rest". That statement really struck a chord, because one of the things that surprised me most on prac was how very disrupted a place a classroom really is. Fire drills. Sports carnivals. Dramas (unscripted ones). It really is important to prioritise and focus, and teach these skills as well!
The next thing was the final verse of the poem "Did I Miiss Anything?" by Tom Wayman. I highlighted it for no other reason than I loved it, I thought it was such a beautiful thought:
Contained in this classroom
is a microcosm of human existence
assembled for you to query and examine and ponder
This is not the only place such an opportunity has been gathered
but it was one place
Yes! Learning is important! Significant! Worth turning up for!
And finally - this: Tovani hopes that I, her reader, am saying to myself "I can do this!"
I can do this.
I thought the idea of "Conversation Calendars" was a great one, an excellent way of getting to know students and finding out what they care about in order to help them see how the work they do in class connects to their lives. "Reading Response Logs" - helping students get better at reading, writing, and thinking by reading, writing, and thinking. Seems so obvious when it is illustrated in this way. A "File Folder Collection of Work Samples" - collecting throughout the year especially selected pieces of work which give a piece of the puzzle as to who our students are. And final examinations which explicitly examine metacognitive processes. Testing what they have learned about their own reading and learning processes. What a great idea! I really appreciated the importance of getting students to share their thinking - so valuable for them as learners, and so valuable for us as learners about learners.
And then the piece de resistance: "Base your assessment on what you value". I remember Dr Shann saying just that. And then I thought about this very unit of work and how it is being assessed. I realise how much I have enjoyed this unit. How very, very valuable blogging has been as a means of contemplating readings and tutorials, how validated I have felt as a learner by being able to express exactly what I have thought (not what I am expected to have remembered), and how all this has really enabled me to engage with the material I am being asked to consider. I have really enjoyed it, and I have learned a lot by thinking about the material. Lol! There it is. Just what Tovani is saying. In a nutshell.
Three things are highlighted in the concluding chapter of the book. Firstly, "...focus on what is important and, as much as possible, ignore the rest". That statement really struck a chord, because one of the things that surprised me most on prac was how very disrupted a place a classroom really is. Fire drills. Sports carnivals. Dramas (unscripted ones). It really is important to prioritise and focus, and teach these skills as well!
The next thing was the final verse of the poem "Did I Miiss Anything?" by Tom Wayman. I highlighted it for no other reason than I loved it, I thought it was such a beautiful thought:
Contained in this classroom
is a microcosm of human existence
assembled for you to query and examine and ponder
This is not the only place such an opportunity has been gathered
but it was one place
Yes! Learning is important! Significant! Worth turning up for!
And finally - this: Tovani hopes that I, her reader, am saying to myself "I can do this!"
I can do this.
Tovani Chapters 5,6,7
Just a couple of hours up my sleeve but time enough, I think, to note my reflections on the rest of Cris Tovani's book, and I think this is an exercise well worth doing - I came across so many points which made me think "Ah-ha! I can use that!" or "Ah-ha! That's so true!"
The first point was the idea of ensuring that readers have a purpose for reading, because this helps them remember more of the text. The purpose for reading determines what is important - so teachers need to be clear in their reasons for assigning their reading. (I can think of another very good reason, too - so when students groan "WHY do we have to read this?" I have an answer. A good one. Worth their while.) By giving students a purpose we give them "a lens through which to read the piece" and help them to identify what is important. And we as teachers need to know what we want them to be able to DO with the information once they have read it. By doing this we may be assisting students with their comprehension by giving them an indication of what they are looking for as they read. We should tell them up front what they are looking for. I can see how this works for both English and Drama texts and, in fact, it's something I already practice. I do think it's very important to tell students what we'll be doing with the text, so I might have them keep a "character journal" in which they note as we read the character's actions, descriptions of the character, what they wear, what other characters say about them, what motivates them. I think this helps readers to make a connection to a character in a play or story and seek out details which tell us who he or she is.
The next point - "If the piece isn't going to entertain, teach, or improve my life in some way, I throw it out" - I feel exactly the same way! I cannot focus for long on anything which is not interesting or informative, so I need to remember to make explicit to my students the purpose of their reading, because they probably feel just the same. Setting a purpose will help them (and me) to persevere when reading is boring or difficult.
Tovani discusses a student called Aaron, a reluctant student and reader, and she quoted Richard Vacca who said "All struggling readers have to do is act tough and say nothing, and they can become invisible". Tovani then asks "...if students become invisible, does it mean we no longer have the responsibility to teach them?" I thought straight away of Don, who said on a number of occasions to look for the kids in the back row, because they're the ones who are struggling and in trouble.
I have made a note of Tovani's strategies for holding information: Highlighters (as I've said, already I'm a big fan of these), sticky notes, whole group charts, comprehension constructors, double-entry diaries. I thought these were excellent strategies, just requiring that little bit of extra forethought and effort on the teacher's behalf. Well worth it, I should think.
Then another point which reminded me of Don - "...asking questions is a signal that you are constructing meaning. Readers who don't ask questions are often disengaged and unable to remember what they've read." Tovani then discusses the potential for allowing students' questions to clear up misconceptions and see where the gaps are and what is unclear and needs reteaching. Don had a great deal to say on the subject of questions as this is his primary source of information. He believes whenever you are addressing a group you must allow questions to be asked AS THEY ARISE, not at the end, because your listeners' questions will inform your delivery by letting you know what they want and need to hear, and what is not clear. I reckon Don and Cris Tovani would get along like a house on fire.
In Chapter 7 Tovani discusses group work - and I read this chapter with real interest because, as she states, the benefits of group work are so often discussed, and yet the reality can be slightly chaotic, with much time spent off-task. Having said that, I tried a number of group work exercises with a very - er - lively group of year elevens during prac, and they surprised me by responding and engaging very enthusiastically. Tovani's suggestions for guiding group activities, showing them how to collaborate and discuss, and providing feedback are very useful. I loved the quote from Harvey Daniels: "Students who are given the opportunity to collaborate every day receive the loud and clear signal that working and thinking with others is an important skill, valued both in school and in the real world." I'll remember that - that it's worth the effort.
The first point was the idea of ensuring that readers have a purpose for reading, because this helps them remember more of the text. The purpose for reading determines what is important - so teachers need to be clear in their reasons for assigning their reading. (I can think of another very good reason, too - so when students groan "WHY do we have to read this?" I have an answer. A good one. Worth their while.) By giving students a purpose we give them "a lens through which to read the piece" and help them to identify what is important. And we as teachers need to know what we want them to be able to DO with the information once they have read it. By doing this we may be assisting students with their comprehension by giving them an indication of what they are looking for as they read. We should tell them up front what they are looking for. I can see how this works for both English and Drama texts and, in fact, it's something I already practice. I do think it's very important to tell students what we'll be doing with the text, so I might have them keep a "character journal" in which they note as we read the character's actions, descriptions of the character, what they wear, what other characters say about them, what motivates them. I think this helps readers to make a connection to a character in a play or story and seek out details which tell us who he or she is.
The next point - "If the piece isn't going to entertain, teach, or improve my life in some way, I throw it out" - I feel exactly the same way! I cannot focus for long on anything which is not interesting or informative, so I need to remember to make explicit to my students the purpose of their reading, because they probably feel just the same. Setting a purpose will help them (and me) to persevere when reading is boring or difficult.
Tovani discusses a student called Aaron, a reluctant student and reader, and she quoted Richard Vacca who said "All struggling readers have to do is act tough and say nothing, and they can become invisible". Tovani then asks "...if students become invisible, does it mean we no longer have the responsibility to teach them?" I thought straight away of Don, who said on a number of occasions to look for the kids in the back row, because they're the ones who are struggling and in trouble.
I have made a note of Tovani's strategies for holding information: Highlighters (as I've said, already I'm a big fan of these), sticky notes, whole group charts, comprehension constructors, double-entry diaries. I thought these were excellent strategies, just requiring that little bit of extra forethought and effort on the teacher's behalf. Well worth it, I should think.
Then another point which reminded me of Don - "...asking questions is a signal that you are constructing meaning. Readers who don't ask questions are often disengaged and unable to remember what they've read." Tovani then discusses the potential for allowing students' questions to clear up misconceptions and see where the gaps are and what is unclear and needs reteaching. Don had a great deal to say on the subject of questions as this is his primary source of information. He believes whenever you are addressing a group you must allow questions to be asked AS THEY ARISE, not at the end, because your listeners' questions will inform your delivery by letting you know what they want and need to hear, and what is not clear. I reckon Don and Cris Tovani would get along like a house on fire.
In Chapter 7 Tovani discusses group work - and I read this chapter with real interest because, as she states, the benefits of group work are so often discussed, and yet the reality can be slightly chaotic, with much time spent off-task. Having said that, I tried a number of group work exercises with a very - er - lively group of year elevens during prac, and they surprised me by responding and engaging very enthusiastically. Tovani's suggestions for guiding group activities, showing them how to collaborate and discuss, and providing feedback are very useful. I loved the quote from Harvey Daniels: "Students who are given the opportunity to collaborate every day receive the loud and clear signal that working and thinking with others is an important skill, valued both in school and in the real world." I'll remember that - that it's worth the effort.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
(Ch 3 &4) Highlights
One of the things I have become very conscious of as I have begun to collate resources and information and guidelines and ideas for my own development as a teacher is observing teachers and texts that practice (or do not practice) what they preach. For example, the long, boring, too difficult, poorly set out textbooks instructing readers on the importance of being mindful of students' cognitive capacities and improving students' retention - or the two hour long passive listening sessions on improving retention which outlive my attention span by approximately an hour and forty-five minutes...
Chris Tovani's book is a breath of fresh air. It's stuff I need to know presented in a way I can understand. I particularly like the fact that Tovani uses anecdotes to get her message across. I've highlighted a couple of the anecdotes which I found particularly relevant to my teaching (...and if I highlighted 'em, they must be important!)
I particularly liked the story of the teachers attempting to make sense of "Di Tri Berrese" because I found it very interesting to see the process broken down into the various individual strategies the teachers used to interpret the text. I have picked out a few of the strategies identified that we use regularly to read and understand. Skipping words/phrases that are unknown and moving on to passages that are more readily understood. I do that! Phonetic pronounciation. Thinking hard whilst reading and making connections to known/familiar information. Asking questions about confusing parts and substituting logical phrases for ones that make no sense. Wrestling with words and being flexible in thinking. Perhaps the reason this particular anecdote stood out is because I seem to recall applying a number of strategies very similar to these to attempt to decode the piece of text in Professor Lowe's lecture last week. Interesting how quickly it all fell into place when just one part of the code became known - the fact that it was about a birthday.
Next I have highlighted Tovani's description on how to support readers who are struggling with a book and might like to abandon it. Having devoted much of my time as an undergraduate to the study of literature I can certainly relate to the torturous experience of wading through text that has failed to grab me, whether it be due to content that is not interesting to me, or writing that is verbose, difficult, and BO-RING (as the students would say - and in all honesty, sometimes they have a point...). Using Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as an example, Tovani identifies her own strategies for persevering with a challenging text. These include getting an overall picture of the novel and how it is organised to provide a frame of reference and help stick it out through the slow bits, knowing about the author and the context in which the book is written (in fact, even as I read this paragraph I recalled a really interesting film called Gothic about the night Mary Shelley conceived of the monster, and suddenly I found myself wanting to read the book, which is sitting on my bookshelf - unread!), remembering that it is not important to understand every single word, and piquing interest by reading a good part. This example stood out to me because I know it is going to be a challenge to get students enthusiastic about novels, particularly the classics (or anything written more than five years ago...) and it was fascinating to see how Tovani used her own challenges with the book to work out how to support the students with the same challenges - with the result that they all wound up excited to read it. Me too!
Next I have highlighted a question put to Tovani by an English teacher called Rick: "Do you think we focus too much on teaching our curriculum, and don't devote enough time to teaching our students?" I appreciated this discussion on perceived academic rigor versus selecting accessible texts and alternative reading that is interesting to students, connected to real life, and appropriate for their reading ability - not too easy, and not too hard. I thought referring the student to the Website to assist with To Kill A Mockingbird was really helpful, because, as Tovani points out, now that the student has gathered some information she can understand about the book, perhaps someday she can return to the book. I'm a big fan of information available online. When I was at school there were pretty much just Cliff Notes to provide additional reading to supplement a text. Now it is possible to explore firsthand any aspect of a text which might arouse curiosity. Of course this applies to any subject - but using Drama, specifically Death Of A Salesman, as an example - it is possible to guide students on an exploration of Arthur Miller, America in the 1950's, the Committee for Un-American Activities, Marilyn Monroe, Broadway Theatre, The Pulitzer Prize, staging techniques, reviews of the play - I could actually go on and on - but the potential for enriching and enhancing students' appreciation of the text and arousing their curiosity and encouraging them to persevere with a text utilising supplementary, easily accessible material online is pretty much limited only by the teacher's own imagination (and enthusiasm level). And of course this is also true of the Text Sets Tovani describes - collections of reading material of varying style and difficulty about and surrounding the area of study providing students with a variety of perspectives and a well rounded view of the subject. As you can see - I'm all for it. I'm a pop culture junkie. When I read history, or a play, or a novel, or a poem my understanding and appreciation are greatly enhanced by knowing what the clothes were like, what the music was like, what the furniture looked like, what people did for fun, who was in the movies... that's how I learn and remember!
I think that's enough out of me for one day...
Chris Tovani's book is a breath of fresh air. It's stuff I need to know presented in a way I can understand. I particularly like the fact that Tovani uses anecdotes to get her message across. I've highlighted a couple of the anecdotes which I found particularly relevant to my teaching (...and if I highlighted 'em, they must be important!)
I particularly liked the story of the teachers attempting to make sense of "Di Tri Berrese" because I found it very interesting to see the process broken down into the various individual strategies the teachers used to interpret the text. I have picked out a few of the strategies identified that we use regularly to read and understand. Skipping words/phrases that are unknown and moving on to passages that are more readily understood. I do that! Phonetic pronounciation. Thinking hard whilst reading and making connections to known/familiar information. Asking questions about confusing parts and substituting logical phrases for ones that make no sense. Wrestling with words and being flexible in thinking. Perhaps the reason this particular anecdote stood out is because I seem to recall applying a number of strategies very similar to these to attempt to decode the piece of text in Professor Lowe's lecture last week. Interesting how quickly it all fell into place when just one part of the code became known - the fact that it was about a birthday.
Next I have highlighted Tovani's description on how to support readers who are struggling with a book and might like to abandon it. Having devoted much of my time as an undergraduate to the study of literature I can certainly relate to the torturous experience of wading through text that has failed to grab me, whether it be due to content that is not interesting to me, or writing that is verbose, difficult, and BO-RING (as the students would say - and in all honesty, sometimes they have a point...). Using Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as an example, Tovani identifies her own strategies for persevering with a challenging text. These include getting an overall picture of the novel and how it is organised to provide a frame of reference and help stick it out through the slow bits, knowing about the author and the context in which the book is written (in fact, even as I read this paragraph I recalled a really interesting film called Gothic about the night Mary Shelley conceived of the monster, and suddenly I found myself wanting to read the book, which is sitting on my bookshelf - unread!), remembering that it is not important to understand every single word, and piquing interest by reading a good part. This example stood out to me because I know it is going to be a challenge to get students enthusiastic about novels, particularly the classics (or anything written more than five years ago...) and it was fascinating to see how Tovani used her own challenges with the book to work out how to support the students with the same challenges - with the result that they all wound up excited to read it. Me too!
Next I have highlighted a question put to Tovani by an English teacher called Rick: "Do you think we focus too much on teaching our curriculum, and don't devote enough time to teaching our students?" I appreciated this discussion on perceived academic rigor versus selecting accessible texts and alternative reading that is interesting to students, connected to real life, and appropriate for their reading ability - not too easy, and not too hard. I thought referring the student to the Website to assist with To Kill A Mockingbird was really helpful, because, as Tovani points out, now that the student has gathered some information she can understand about the book, perhaps someday she can return to the book. I'm a big fan of information available online. When I was at school there were pretty much just Cliff Notes to provide additional reading to supplement a text. Now it is possible to explore firsthand any aspect of a text which might arouse curiosity. Of course this applies to any subject - but using Drama, specifically Death Of A Salesman, as an example - it is possible to guide students on an exploration of Arthur Miller, America in the 1950's, the Committee for Un-American Activities, Marilyn Monroe, Broadway Theatre, The Pulitzer Prize, staging techniques, reviews of the play - I could actually go on and on - but the potential for enriching and enhancing students' appreciation of the text and arousing their curiosity and encouraging them to persevere with a text utilising supplementary, easily accessible material online is pretty much limited only by the teacher's own imagination (and enthusiasm level). And of course this is also true of the Text Sets Tovani describes - collections of reading material of varying style and difficulty about and surrounding the area of study providing students with a variety of perspectives and a well rounded view of the subject. As you can see - I'm all for it. I'm a pop culture junkie. When I read history, or a play, or a novel, or a poem my understanding and appreciation are greatly enhanced by knowing what the clothes were like, what the music was like, what the furniture looked like, what people did for fun, who was in the movies... that's how I learn and remember!
I think that's enough out of me for one day...
Highlighted in Pink (Ch 1 & 2)
I think it may be a valuable exercise in preparation for next week's presentation to review the Chris Tovani book Do I Really Have to Teach Reading? and revisit the points I have highlighted in pink. Before I begin I'd like to make a confession regarding my reliance on pink highlighter. In my life as an actor, the very first thing I do when I receive a new script is read through it and highlight all of my character's dialogue in pink. It makes the script easier for me to work from and easier to learn. I often joke that "If it's not pink, I can't say it". The thing is, though, I may be joking - but it's true! If during my initial read through I overlook a line or two, I will in all likelihood fail to say those lines during rehearsal until I have attended to them with my trusty highlighter. Perhaps my brain is busy with so many other things during rehearsals it needs me to be consistent with what I expect it to do... or maybe conditioning is strong... or I'm lazy...
So... what have I highlighted for myself here? I'll start with the introductory chapters 1 and 2. The first point of note is the quote from Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis on page 3: "A reader with no questions might just as well abandon the book". Tovani explains that asking questions is a strategy she uses to help her to read uninteresting material. She emphasizes that the questions must be ones which she really cares about and is truly curious about. This struck me as an excellent strategy, particularly when faced with a piece of text which does not initially appear to be particularly relevant or interesting. I have noticed this year how much easier it is to read, for example, a dense or lengthy journal article when you are seeking an answer or a piece of information. The reason this became so apparent is that during prac real questions arose for concerning effective behaviour management in the classroom. What works? What doesn't? What is effective? What is the right thing to do? Revisiting all the prescribed reading for the Promoting Positive Learning Environments exam took on a whole new dimension. I wanted to know what the text contained for me. It mattered. It was easier to read than it was before prac - as are many of this semester's readings - because I have real questions that matter to me.
The second point in pink is "Good readers monitor their comprehension. They know when the text is making sense and when it isn't...they recognise that they are confused and then do something to repair meaning." It is so interesting to me to deconstruct the reading process. Although I was not conscious of it I am in the habit of checking myself as I read. If I have read a paragraph without taking in meaning - usually because it is in some way too complex for me, perhaps it about a subject I am unfamiliar with, or my attention might have wandered (I am a Gemini, after all...) - I will make a conscious effort to revise the paragraph with improved focus before I proceed further without comprehending. There are a number of other strategies I recognise from my own reading and can pass on to my students. These include:
"Activating background knowledge and making connections between new and known information." - Linking to prior knowledge, definitely something I can assist with in the classroom.
"Using sensory images to enhance comprehension and visualize reading." - Another factor which I now realise is a part of my own reading process. I very quickly lose concentration if I cannot form a vivid mental picture of what I am reading. Perhaps in the classroom I might bear in mind that although I might have a clear image of the text my students may not and it would be well worth my while to invest some time into discussing and creating visual representations - like Joey did as he listened to Hatchet being read aloud in class. I think this is where the Smartboard and the internet are a godsend. If we're reading about the Canadian wilderness, we can explore it online. If there's a porcupine and a moose in the story, we can listen to the sounds they make... I am reminded of an exercise I did with my class whilst studying the same novel. I had the students go outside to build shelters to protect them from the cold, just like Brian had to do to survive in the novel. Not only did they absolutely LOVE this activity - it really grabbed their attention and aroused their curiosity. Suddenly they wanted to know what else happened in the novel.
The "fix-up strategies" listed are also very useful to recognise and consider, and I will single out two that I have used to great effect in the classroom:
"Ask yourself a question and try to answer it". I saw how well this strategy worked in enhancing students' understanding of a text, particularly when the question they were asked to consider required them to empathise with a character. They might be asked something like "The character in the novel responded to this situation such a way... how do you think you might have responded in the same situation, and what do you think the outcome might have been?" In answering a question such as this, students engage much more actively with the text by having to consider it from their own perspectives.
"Retell what you've read." This is a good method for checking my own comprehension of a text - a film, an article, a novel - can I explain it to someone else? It's often an indicator to me that I have not understood or remembered something. For example, at uni when someone asks "Did you do the reading? What is it about?" Now and then I'm stumped. I've read it, but I've not taken it in. A good exercise for assessing a student's understanding of an event in a story or a play is to ask them to retell the event from the perspective of another character in the story. Once again, this is an enjoyable activity, it often allows the students to be quite creative and humorous, and it allows them to explore elements like plot and character more thoroughly - and then demonstrate how thoroughly they have understood what they read.
The next point I have highlighted is "Meaning arrives because we are purposefully engaged in thinking while we read." I think this is an excellent principle to bear in mind. As a teacher, I need to keep things interesting, engaging, facilitate questions, keep the process active, keep it alive...
I was interested to read Tovani's "Essential Elements of Comprehension Instruction". Four basic points which seem so obvious but which it might also be so easy to overlook. Assessing the text for relevance and accessibility. I don't like reading stuff that's boring, irrelevant, and completely beyond me - so why would my students? They wouldn't, of course. Making explicit my own thinking and reading processes. Now this is more challenging and has concerned me all along. I have never struggled with reading (except, as I've pointed out, when it is boring or I am unable to make any connection to the material) - and as a result I have never thought about my processes and am not conscious of them. Reading Tovani's book is quite enlightening on this subject - as I read I am thinking "I recognise that - I do that!" or "No, that's not me, that's not how I read". As I said earlier, deconstructing reading is a very valuable process in that it will help me become aware of strategies I use and can share - and perhaps am already unconsciously sharing! Make sure students understand how the information they read and write will be used. Yep - establish relevance and connect it to their lives. I have already experienced the result of NOT doing this and let's just say it's an exercise in futility I do not plan to repeat in a hurry: "MI-ISS! THIS IS BO-RING! WHY DO WE HAVE TO DO THIS? IT'S OLD. IT'S LAME..." Ah-ha. Never again. Teach students to hold thinking and give them opportunities to use the information they've held. I think this is a natural progression from the previous point, and I think this must be one of the really lovely things about teaching a class for a long period of time. The class as a group has shared memories of shared learning to build upon and use as time goes by.
Right. Time out!
So... what have I highlighted for myself here? I'll start with the introductory chapters 1 and 2. The first point of note is the quote from Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis on page 3: "A reader with no questions might just as well abandon the book". Tovani explains that asking questions is a strategy she uses to help her to read uninteresting material. She emphasizes that the questions must be ones which she really cares about and is truly curious about. This struck me as an excellent strategy, particularly when faced with a piece of text which does not initially appear to be particularly relevant or interesting. I have noticed this year how much easier it is to read, for example, a dense or lengthy journal article when you are seeking an answer or a piece of information. The reason this became so apparent is that during prac real questions arose for concerning effective behaviour management in the classroom. What works? What doesn't? What is effective? What is the right thing to do? Revisiting all the prescribed reading for the Promoting Positive Learning Environments exam took on a whole new dimension. I wanted to know what the text contained for me. It mattered. It was easier to read than it was before prac - as are many of this semester's readings - because I have real questions that matter to me.
The second point in pink is "Good readers monitor their comprehension. They know when the text is making sense and when it isn't...they recognise that they are confused and then do something to repair meaning." It is so interesting to me to deconstruct the reading process. Although I was not conscious of it I am in the habit of checking myself as I read. If I have read a paragraph without taking in meaning - usually because it is in some way too complex for me, perhaps it about a subject I am unfamiliar with, or my attention might have wandered (I am a Gemini, after all...) - I will make a conscious effort to revise the paragraph with improved focus before I proceed further without comprehending. There are a number of other strategies I recognise from my own reading and can pass on to my students. These include:
"Activating background knowledge and making connections between new and known information." - Linking to prior knowledge, definitely something I can assist with in the classroom.
"Using sensory images to enhance comprehension and visualize reading." - Another factor which I now realise is a part of my own reading process. I very quickly lose concentration if I cannot form a vivid mental picture of what I am reading. Perhaps in the classroom I might bear in mind that although I might have a clear image of the text my students may not and it would be well worth my while to invest some time into discussing and creating visual representations - like Joey did as he listened to Hatchet being read aloud in class. I think this is where the Smartboard and the internet are a godsend. If we're reading about the Canadian wilderness, we can explore it online. If there's a porcupine and a moose in the story, we can listen to the sounds they make... I am reminded of an exercise I did with my class whilst studying the same novel. I had the students go outside to build shelters to protect them from the cold, just like Brian had to do to survive in the novel. Not only did they absolutely LOVE this activity - it really grabbed their attention and aroused their curiosity. Suddenly they wanted to know what else happened in the novel.
The "fix-up strategies" listed are also very useful to recognise and consider, and I will single out two that I have used to great effect in the classroom:
"Ask yourself a question and try to answer it". I saw how well this strategy worked in enhancing students' understanding of a text, particularly when the question they were asked to consider required them to empathise with a character. They might be asked something like "The character in the novel responded to this situation such a way... how do you think you might have responded in the same situation, and what do you think the outcome might have been?" In answering a question such as this, students engage much more actively with the text by having to consider it from their own perspectives.
"Retell what you've read." This is a good method for checking my own comprehension of a text - a film, an article, a novel - can I explain it to someone else? It's often an indicator to me that I have not understood or remembered something. For example, at uni when someone asks "Did you do the reading? What is it about?" Now and then I'm stumped. I've read it, but I've not taken it in. A good exercise for assessing a student's understanding of an event in a story or a play is to ask them to retell the event from the perspective of another character in the story. Once again, this is an enjoyable activity, it often allows the students to be quite creative and humorous, and it allows them to explore elements like plot and character more thoroughly - and then demonstrate how thoroughly they have understood what they read.
The next point I have highlighted is "Meaning arrives because we are purposefully engaged in thinking while we read." I think this is an excellent principle to bear in mind. As a teacher, I need to keep things interesting, engaging, facilitate questions, keep the process active, keep it alive...
I was interested to read Tovani's "Essential Elements of Comprehension Instruction". Four basic points which seem so obvious but which it might also be so easy to overlook. Assessing the text for relevance and accessibility. I don't like reading stuff that's boring, irrelevant, and completely beyond me - so why would my students? They wouldn't, of course. Making explicit my own thinking and reading processes. Now this is more challenging and has concerned me all along. I have never struggled with reading (except, as I've pointed out, when it is boring or I am unable to make any connection to the material) - and as a result I have never thought about my processes and am not conscious of them. Reading Tovani's book is quite enlightening on this subject - as I read I am thinking "I recognise that - I do that!" or "No, that's not me, that's not how I read". As I said earlier, deconstructing reading is a very valuable process in that it will help me become aware of strategies I use and can share - and perhaps am already unconsciously sharing! Make sure students understand how the information they read and write will be used. Yep - establish relevance and connect it to their lives. I have already experienced the result of NOT doing this and let's just say it's an exercise in futility I do not plan to repeat in a hurry: "MI-ISS! THIS IS BO-RING! WHY DO WE HAVE TO DO THIS? IT'S OLD. IT'S LAME..." Ah-ha. Never again. Teach students to hold thinking and give them opportunities to use the information they've held. I think this is a natural progression from the previous point, and I think this must be one of the really lovely things about teaching a class for a long period of time. The class as a group has shared memories of shared learning to build upon and use as time goes by.
Right. Time out!
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Everywhere I Look
Now that I've started to contemplate the issue of literacy I discover it is everywhere! It is an integral part of everything I do and sensitivity to people's reading ability levels is something I now realise I exercise very frequently... but more on that later.
First, a note on the interview with my group's student/subject: Don. I don't want to say too much at this point - I'd like to introduce Don fully in our presentation in week four. I took copious notes on Don's experiences as a student with dyslexia in the 1950's and on his views both on educating young people in general and more specifically educating young people with dyslexia. I would like to make note here though of two things:
When Don was asked if it was the teacher's responsibility to take action upon realising that a student is experiencing some kind of reading difficulty Don did not elaborate. He simply answered "yes" before changing the subject. (Don did a great deal of changing the subject when the subject was reading.)
The second thing I would like to record here is Don's response when asked if his inability to read and write had disadvantaged him in any way. He replied emphatically that it had not, with the following exception - "If I could read I would have become a doctor and gone to Africa to help people. You could do so much good there. That's the only thing I would have done different." The only thing??? I thought this was an incredible statement. Although Don did not believe he was in any way disadvantaged - his one regret is so enormous. He would have chosen a completely different path, led a completely different life. And, having spent quite a bit of time talking with Don over the course of two PCD's and this interview, I can assure you the man is as good as his word. He would have gone to Africa. He would have done so much good. Having said that - he does good anyway. I'm pretty sure the young people he coaches are pretty glad to have him exactly where he is.
A thought has just come to me. When Don was asked how his school teachers dealt with his reading challenges Don said they basically implied that he was lazy and wouldn't learn. I assume that at the time there was very little diagnosis or recognition of reading difficulties among students. But as I think of Don's particularly insightful brand of intelligence and the many ways that he has taught himself to learn (he listens intently, focuses, and remembers what he hears, and asks a lot of questions when he is not clear or wants to know more) I realise that an observant, compassionate, and committed teacher might have made a significant difference here - Don might not have had to leave school at fourteen and get a trade. He might have been able to be a doctor after all.
Which brings me to Professor Kaye Lowe's tutorial this week. What an eye opener. I have to say that this tutorial, aside from the fact that it conclusively demonstrated the many ways in which we (and our students) read, derive meaning, and take in and process information, was so - I'm looking for a better adjective than wonderful... how about brilliant... thrilling, even? - because it practised what it preached!!! I hope that I can be this kind of teacher some day! No long chunks of passive listening. No long passages of text to read. We learned - really learned by DOING - about some very, very useful points concerning how we learn - and don't learn. My favourite exercise was the passage in gibberish which we were all able to answer comprehension questions on - and get them right - without having any concept of the meaning of the passage - simply by recognising the words from the question in the text. Reading without meaning. Wow! Thank you Professor Lowe - you have taught me something. A few things, actually. And I enjoyed it!
To finish - an anecdote from my week. With literacy at the forefront of my mind it occurred to me this week how very important reading ability is to my passion in life - Drama. Every Friday afternoon I hold Drama workshops at my theatre for two groups. The first group is eight to twelve year olds. The second is thirteen to eighteen year olds. The thirteen to eighteen year olds are pretty straightforward. We do warm ups, play theatre sports to develop improvisation skills, and each week a few students perform monologues of their own choosing and I provide feedback to assist them in developing performance skills. The process of performing the monologue, of course, involves the students reading and memorising text - and many of the students, budding writers, write their own. I realise on reflection that none of my teenage group appear to have any difficulty with literacy, and I wonder if that is because Drama attracts good English students? Or confident readers? Or, adversely, if adolescents who are self-conscious about their reading ability might steer well clear of an activity which might draw attention to their challenges? The real observation I would like to make though involves my younger group. For the first few months I simply played Drama games with this group. I reasoned that they were pretty young and was not overly ambitious in my expectations of their capabilities, so I focused on developing their confidence, imagination, and teamwork skills. The group eventually became restless, and began to ask "When are we going to do some real acting?" I was very dubious, but nonetheless I hopped online and found some monologues suitable for young children. I found monologues from "Finding Nemo", "Alice in Wonderland", "The Little Princess", "101 Dalmations", "The Muppet Movie", and some others. Very cautiously I made the suggestion in class that they might like to choose a monologue, read over it for a few minutes with some help from myself and a couple of my older students, and then read it aloud for the group. They were thrilled, and jumped at the chance and - once again - all read confidently, having successfully interpreted the meaning of the texts. Once again - are confident readers drawn to Drama, while strugglers steer clear?
Just last night a few of my younger group asked if they could perform a monologue. There were at least fifteen students present, and as class was drawing to a close lots of parents were watching. I handed the students the folder of monologues and they excitedly flicked through them, choosing something they'd like to do. A brand new student, who just started last night, (I'll call her Jane) presented herself to me and said she had a monologue memorised already and may she perform that please? I was thrilled - of course! I asked what it was about, and she told me that it was about being an actress. I thought this sounded pretty good. I introduced Jane and handed her the floor. Bold as brass, she strutted up and down the stage delivering the delightful tale of an actress having to rehearse and rehearse for a performance. It was clearly completely improvised on the spot, but it was gorgeous, confident, and engaging. At the end of the class I was approached by her mother, who had witnessed the little show. She apoligised to me, saying "She does that all the time - just makes things up. She struggles with reading, you see... Perhaps if you gave me something I could work with her on it?" What a lovely mum, I thought. And what a lucky little girl. They chose Cruella de Vil's monologue from "101 Dalmations" - "I just love being nasty!" said the little superstar.
I can't wait to see the show!
First, a note on the interview with my group's student/subject: Don. I don't want to say too much at this point - I'd like to introduce Don fully in our presentation in week four. I took copious notes on Don's experiences as a student with dyslexia in the 1950's and on his views both on educating young people in general and more specifically educating young people with dyslexia. I would like to make note here though of two things:
When Don was asked if it was the teacher's responsibility to take action upon realising that a student is experiencing some kind of reading difficulty Don did not elaborate. He simply answered "yes" before changing the subject. (Don did a great deal of changing the subject when the subject was reading.)
The second thing I would like to record here is Don's response when asked if his inability to read and write had disadvantaged him in any way. He replied emphatically that it had not, with the following exception - "If I could read I would have become a doctor and gone to Africa to help people. You could do so much good there. That's the only thing I would have done different." The only thing??? I thought this was an incredible statement. Although Don did not believe he was in any way disadvantaged - his one regret is so enormous. He would have chosen a completely different path, led a completely different life. And, having spent quite a bit of time talking with Don over the course of two PCD's and this interview, I can assure you the man is as good as his word. He would have gone to Africa. He would have done so much good. Having said that - he does good anyway. I'm pretty sure the young people he coaches are pretty glad to have him exactly where he is.
A thought has just come to me. When Don was asked how his school teachers dealt with his reading challenges Don said they basically implied that he was lazy and wouldn't learn. I assume that at the time there was very little diagnosis or recognition of reading difficulties among students. But as I think of Don's particularly insightful brand of intelligence and the many ways that he has taught himself to learn (he listens intently, focuses, and remembers what he hears, and asks a lot of questions when he is not clear or wants to know more) I realise that an observant, compassionate, and committed teacher might have made a significant difference here - Don might not have had to leave school at fourteen and get a trade. He might have been able to be a doctor after all.
Which brings me to Professor Kaye Lowe's tutorial this week. What an eye opener. I have to say that this tutorial, aside from the fact that it conclusively demonstrated the many ways in which we (and our students) read, derive meaning, and take in and process information, was so - I'm looking for a better adjective than wonderful... how about brilliant... thrilling, even? - because it practised what it preached!!! I hope that I can be this kind of teacher some day! No long chunks of passive listening. No long passages of text to read. We learned - really learned by DOING - about some very, very useful points concerning how we learn - and don't learn. My favourite exercise was the passage in gibberish which we were all able to answer comprehension questions on - and get them right - without having any concept of the meaning of the passage - simply by recognising the words from the question in the text. Reading without meaning. Wow! Thank you Professor Lowe - you have taught me something. A few things, actually. And I enjoyed it!
To finish - an anecdote from my week. With literacy at the forefront of my mind it occurred to me this week how very important reading ability is to my passion in life - Drama. Every Friday afternoon I hold Drama workshops at my theatre for two groups. The first group is eight to twelve year olds. The second is thirteen to eighteen year olds. The thirteen to eighteen year olds are pretty straightforward. We do warm ups, play theatre sports to develop improvisation skills, and each week a few students perform monologues of their own choosing and I provide feedback to assist them in developing performance skills. The process of performing the monologue, of course, involves the students reading and memorising text - and many of the students, budding writers, write their own. I realise on reflection that none of my teenage group appear to have any difficulty with literacy, and I wonder if that is because Drama attracts good English students? Or confident readers? Or, adversely, if adolescents who are self-conscious about their reading ability might steer well clear of an activity which might draw attention to their challenges? The real observation I would like to make though involves my younger group. For the first few months I simply played Drama games with this group. I reasoned that they were pretty young and was not overly ambitious in my expectations of their capabilities, so I focused on developing their confidence, imagination, and teamwork skills. The group eventually became restless, and began to ask "When are we going to do some real acting?" I was very dubious, but nonetheless I hopped online and found some monologues suitable for young children. I found monologues from "Finding Nemo", "Alice in Wonderland", "The Little Princess", "101 Dalmations", "The Muppet Movie", and some others. Very cautiously I made the suggestion in class that they might like to choose a monologue, read over it for a few minutes with some help from myself and a couple of my older students, and then read it aloud for the group. They were thrilled, and jumped at the chance and - once again - all read confidently, having successfully interpreted the meaning of the texts. Once again - are confident readers drawn to Drama, while strugglers steer clear?
Just last night a few of my younger group asked if they could perform a monologue. There were at least fifteen students present, and as class was drawing to a close lots of parents were watching. I handed the students the folder of monologues and they excitedly flicked through them, choosing something they'd like to do. A brand new student, who just started last night, (I'll call her Jane) presented herself to me and said she had a monologue memorised already and may she perform that please? I was thrilled - of course! I asked what it was about, and she told me that it was about being an actress. I thought this sounded pretty good. I introduced Jane and handed her the floor. Bold as brass, she strutted up and down the stage delivering the delightful tale of an actress having to rehearse and rehearse for a performance. It was clearly completely improvised on the spot, but it was gorgeous, confident, and engaging. At the end of the class I was approached by her mother, who had witnessed the little show. She apoligised to me, saying "She does that all the time - just makes things up. She struggles with reading, you see... Perhaps if you gave me something I could work with her on it?" What a lovely mum, I thought. And what a lucky little girl. They chose Cruella de Vil's monologue from "101 Dalmations" - "I just love being nasty!" said the little superstar.
I can't wait to see the show!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
