Chapters Five and Six
This time I am going to let you all go first. I want to see what you all have to say before I perhaps color the water. I will post a comment for chapters five and six in this sections after I have read your comments. I thought it would be interesting to hear what you all had to say first. Please post your chapters five and six comments under this thread.
posted by P. Miller @ 4:15 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Jay, I see what you are saying about writing in books. My way of solving this is using "sticky notes". I can't teach without them now. I think I am going to make my kids put them on their supply list.
Chapters 5 and 6 Blog
After reading Chapter 5 “Why am I Reading This?,” I am convinced that all teachers need to give their students a purpose for their reading other than “you will get a zero if you don’t.” I still believe that students aren’t reading because they don’t like what is being assigned. I agree with Tovani that if teachers give the reading a purpose, more students will at least attempt the assigned reading. I like the example given for the history teacher. Instead of saying for homework, read chapter 5, try “by the time you finish reading tonight, I want you to be able to discuss three causes of the civil war.” The purpose for reading the chapter is clearly established.
The comprehension constructors appear to be wonderful methods for getting students to think about what they have read. I love the sticky notes written and posted on a regular piece of notebook paper. What a great way to keep ideas for brain storming later when it is time to complete a writing assignment. I believe the quad–entry diary would be an excellent way to get a student to realize what part of a math concept is not understood. By writing down property, example, what you know, and what you don’t know perhaps this conversation could be better negotiated - Student: “I don’t understand.” Teacher: What is it that you don’t understand.” The student might have written in the quad exactly what it is that they don’t understand.
Chapter Six made me realize that there are lots of things that we as colleagues could share next year if we keep our delayed start schedule. We could tell others about the fake photo that generated so much conversation and caused so much thought. What a great way to start a history, art, English, media literacy, or advertising class. Chapter 6 also gave us ways to share with students methods for remembering and reusing information. Things like don’t copy the text respond to it. Don’t just underline the text think about the text and ask a question or make a connection to something familiar. Giving opinions, drawing conclusions and making statements all help to make us remember what has been read. Students don’t have these skills because they have trained themselves to memorize for a test, and repeat it on a test. Of course the story about the 12 year-old library patron blew me away. The way many of the students responded surprised me. I thought the students would all have strong opinions like the ones expressed at BC High.
Before reading this book, I thought that I had a terrible memory because I hardly remember anything from my high school history classes. Now I realize that I never had a purpose when reading (because that's pretty much all we ever did - read and answer questions at the end). I made an "A" in the classes but never retained knowledge from one class to the next. I couldn't understand people when they told me History was their favorite subject; I just figured they were boring people. I have just never had a schema for history; the things I learned never had a purpose for my life. People who love history (like I love science) have made it a part of their life and understand the impact and implications of historical events on their own life.
Chapter 6 - lots of great ideas for retaining and "holding on to" thinking.
Chapter 5
I completely agree with Tovani on that it is extremely important that students learn how to read for a purpose. I have seen my students race through an assignment just to get through quickly far too many times. They will all claim they have read and can summarize a few parts but none of them really comprehend the meaning of the text the way I had hoped they would. After reading Tovani’s ideas I have begun to identify the purposes of reading to my students before they begin reading. When they know what I am looking for, they tend to slow down and read more carefully so that they can find what I am looking for. When they read for pleasure, I encourage them to think of a purpose that they would like to read for before they begin
Chapter 6
When I first started having students read something so that I could test for their comprehension I thought that the only way to know if they were truly understanding was to have them write and essay reflecting on what they read. I soon learned that they had a problem holding their thoughts long enough to translate it onto paper using a logical flow. I have started using clearer guidelines for my students when I asked them to show me what they are thinking while reading. Instead of having them write their thoughts in essay form, I now use guidelines much like Tovani has in chapter 6. I have also quit asking students to read things that they are not allowed to write on because I find that students can get their thoughts down better if they are able to write directly on the text.
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