About 40 MiddleWeb listserv members signed on to MiddleWeb's "booklist"
listserv to discuss the book Mosaic
of Thought by Ellin Keene and Susan Zimmerman, which seeks to answer
the question: "How do students become thoughtful, independent readers
who comprehend text at a deep level?"
Ellin Keene contributed several messages to the conversation, which we've
reproduced below. Prior to the conversation, listserv members were able
to visit this page to read more
background information about "Mosaic of Thought."
---------------------------------------------------------------
The discussion of "Mosaic of Thought" began with this greeting
from discussion moderator Deb Bambino:
Welcome to the Mosaic of Thought Discussion!
We'd like to begin with a couple of structured opening rounds before opening
up to a more free wheeling conversation.
Please take the following steps to join the group: ( Think of this as a
warm up where we're getting to know each other.)
1. WARM-UP -- After logging on to the MW Booklist address, insert "Mosaic
One" as your Subject, and send a message with the following content:
-- Share a short story of a time when you deeply understood something you
read. What were you reading? What's your evidence that your understanding
was deep?
-- Tell the group a little bit about your role in education.
Let's give Round 1 a little time to roll out, say Thursday into Friday.
On Friday afternoon, I'll post Round 2 for the weekend, after that, we'll
expand the process.
I'm looking forward to joining you in conversation of this provocative book!
Deb
Deborah Bambino
Teaching & Learning Network Coordinator
Washington Cluster
Phladelphia, PA
==================================================
Then Deb kicked things off:
Hi,
This entry could fall under the entry "easier said than done".
Choosing just one short story about my reading and understanding is hard,
but here goes...
At 15, I read The Scarlet Letter as a dutiful sophomore in high school.
I think I found it rather boring. At 30, I returned to school and was again
assigned the book. This time I deeply understood the realities of society's
double standard toward women and the images and lessons of the book touched
me deeply. My evidence of my deeper understanding lies mainly in my memory
of the conversations I felt compelled to have with others, pretty much anyone,
who was willing to listen or talk about it.
When I reread the book I was making the "connections to self"
that are discussed in Mosaic, connections I didn't have the experience or
understanding to make at 15.
I am currently the Teaching & Learning Coordinator for a twelve school
cluster in the city of Phila. One of my primary responsibilities, at this
time, is the support for guided reading and comprehension instruction in
the intermediate and middle grades.
Deb
======================================
Then John Norton wrote:
It's a terrible cliche, I guess, but the first book I remember connecting
with deeply was -- yep -- "Catcher in the Rye." When my uncle
passed away suddenly at only 32, his mother packed up his books and sent
them to me. I was about 13. In the box, mixed among lurid adventure novels
and a few early 1950s literary works, was a first edition of Catcher. I'd
never heard of the book (this was 1960!) and it certainly wasn't in my junior
high library.
I was mesmerized by the first sentence: "If you really want to hear
about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born,
and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and
all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap...."
Wow. And then, "...my parents would probably have about two hemorrhages
apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them."
I stayed up all night under the covers with the flashlight. I read it twice.
I read it three or four more times in the next few weeks. I had never encountered
a book like this. How had this teenager -- this J.D. Salinger -- managed
to get it published? How did he know so much about me?
Forty years and many thousands of books later, I have yet to encounter a
piece of writing that electrified me like this book. I've just finished
reading "Salinger's Daughter" and confirmed that J.D. is/was a
reprehensible human being by most standards. But in a day when there was
no Judy Blume, no Robert Cormier, no "The Wanderers", no realistic
writing for young teenage boys, he totally excited me about the possibilities
of books. And I'm still excited!
John Norton
PS: I've been an education reporter and writer for nearly 30 years. These
days I serve as editor of MiddleWeb, custodian of these listservs, and a
freelance writer/editor. My proudest accomplishment - giving birth to the
S.C. Teacher Cadet Program, which for 15 years has excited high school students
about teaching careers. (27,000 students have now taken the year-long "Experiencing
Education" honors course!) One of the four national TOY finalists this
year is a former Teacher Cadet. That feels good.
======================================
Anne Jolly offered her recollection next:
A time when I deeply understood something I read? One book that comes to
mind is "To Kill a Mockingbird." I read that book as a teen -
during a time of racial turmoil in the South. I'd grown up in a small, quiet,
homogenous southern town. I questioned very little about my life, my community,
my society. For me this book was a revelation - the beginnings of understanding
about the about principles and inequities underlying the racial tension.
After finishing it this book I felt that I learned something powerful. I
began looking at society through a new filter and questioning . . . questioning
. . . questioning. I believe that this book jumpstarted a thought process
that helped me grow into a better human being.
I am currently an Education Program Specialist with SERVE, working in areas
of teacher quality, teacher leadership, and professional development. Until
last year I was employed as an 8th grade science teacher in the Mobile County
School System in Mobile, Alabama. Interestingly, I've lived in the Mobile
area for over 30 years -- less than a hundred miles from the town where
Harper Lee wrote "To Kill a Mockingbird."
Anne Jolly
======================================
Ellen Berg shared her thoughts about some early important books:
I have been sitting here, staring up at the full wall of books in my office,
thumbing through my mind for the "right" literary experience to
share. As I think of one, my mind turns to another, and yet another. They
are all linked for me somehow. Please forgive me as I share a few of my
experiences throughout my life.
I remember laying on my grandmother's bed when I was 10 years old reading
_Island of the Blue Dolphins_ by Scott O'Dell. I had just read the part
where Rontu had died, and I was sobbing uncontrollably. I felt the pain
of the girl, her loss of yet another loved one, alone once again on the
island. I cried for Karana, but I cried for Rontu as well. It was the first
time I think I really understood what death meant, the loss of it all. I
cried for Karana and Rontu as if they were REAL, and I guess they were to
me.
In college I was introduced to Thoreau and Dylan Thomas. I was captivated
by Thomas' poem, "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night". At the
time it seemed to me to be a poem of fighting to the last breath we take,
but as I've reread it over the years it seems to be more a poem of regret,
of not appreciating life as it happens, of missed opportunities. For me
it is a lesson to live my life deliberately and to savour the journey.
That memory linked me to Thoreau, "I went to the woods because I wished
to live deliberately...and not, when I came to die, discover that I had
not lived....I wished to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life..."
Walden made a huge impression on me. It is the first real work I read that
looked beneath the superficiality of modern life, that questioned, "What
is life?" What are those important aspects? It spoke to me because
it seemed to be talking about SOMETHING, not fluff, not superficial issues.
I am someone who hates small talk with people at social gatherings; I'm
always anxious to move on to the more meaty topics. Walden was meaty.
The final book that comes to mind is _Push_ by Sapphire. It is, at its surface,
a vile, filthy story of the life of an inner-city girl named Precious. Beneath
that, it is a story of how our schools fail children who don't fit within
the norm, who are crying out for help everyday with their outbursts and
behaviors. "I can see by his eyes Mr. Wicher like me too. I wish I
could tell him about all the pages being the same but I can't," Precious
writes. I think of my students, and I wonder if I have passed them by, have
missed something. This is the first book that gave me a picture of what
it MIGHT be like for some of them at home, and it gave me a new perspective
in my interactions with children.
As if you couldn't tell, I teach 6th grade reading and language in an inner-city
6-8 middle school in St. Louis, MO. I am also the department chair, and
I am currently investigating how to put a balanced literacy program into
our school. Reading is a passion, and I am afraid that because reading has
always been so easy for me, it makes it more difficult to be a good reading
teacher. I am looking forward to making those processes described in _Mosaic_
explicit and conscious so I can be a better instructor of children.
Ellen Berg
Turner MEGA Magnet Middle
St. Louis, MO
======================================
Then Trish Rubin wrote:
Yesterday
I see myself picking up a book left behind by my sister who had left for
college. After reading most of the usual preteen literature of that long
ago time, I was curious about this book, much bigger...more serious looking
than any book I had ever read. Missing my sister, I became lost in the pages
of her book. I think I was trying to get close to her. Instead I met myself.
It was the first book that asked me to make a sustained commitment to characters
and to a story. I devoured the novel in a way that was foreign to me. I
knew this was a deep experience, and believe me, I wasn't so deep at age
13! As I think about the experience now, I recall the power of the story.
I could not put the book down, and when I reached the end, days later, I
read it over again...a first for me.
Seeing it from this perspective, I know why it was so important.It was the
first book of texture I had ever known. The images that formed in my mind
as I read were richly dark. Sitting in my split level suburban home, I was
transported to a place I had never been. Today, I still can call up those
images when I hear the title of the novel, Jane Eyre.
Today
I read all the time and I am still creating powerful images. I work in the
field of staff development for a large suburban school district..... Thanks
for getting me involved Alexis!
Trish Rubin
======================================
Marsha Ratzel shared this experience:
I think the book that has touched me the most as an adult would "A
Gift from the Sea" by Anne Morrow Lindberg. I knew what she was going
to say almost before she wrote it and I could hear the words being read
aloud in my head. I found myself nodding and agreeing throughout the pages.
This book made me feel that I wasn't alone at a time when I was struggling
with raising my young preschool aged children and felt pretty isolated.
The book I most remember from my younger days was "A Wrinkle in Time".
I wanted to travel through space and girls just didn't do those sorts of
things. Yet that was possible in this book and the little girl was able
to think about ideas and places that no one could imagine. I wanted to be
her. It was so excited to consider the possibilities. I still love that
book and think it hooked me on sci fi forever. These are pretty two different
books, but they are stand outs from my reading inventory.
I teach 7th grade math and science in a Kansas middle school. I serve within
my building as a techno nerd, the accrediation queen and advisory for 7th
grade. My style is to expect tons from the kiddos, give them tons of flexibility
and encouragement, and room to find their niche in each of my disciplines.
I love to laugh with my students and teach them to not miss the learning
opportunities that they have. They get sick of me telling them all the time.
I think my role in education is to be serious about being in the business
of helping kiddos learn, but not being serious about myself or life.
Marsha Ratzel
======================================
Alexis Ducat mentioned several books that impacted her life:
Books have touched me deeply along various stages of my life--some I needed
to read for educational purposes; some I was called to read by a spirit
higher than me. However, the connections and comprehension came in many
guises.
Recently, I read Who Moved My Cheese? A small book, yet quite powerful in
its message regarding change. At this point in my life, I have been reticent
regarding life's many changes, and when I came to the end, I laughed. I
was stuck and this little book, with its comical characters, guided me in
truly seeing that change is vital. I connected quite personally with Who
Moved My Cheese and intend to move my cheese daily. My epiphany of knowing
the power of that book simply was a shift in my thinking, about movement,
about growth and change.
Yet, two summers ago, I had my breathe literally taken away by White Oleander
by Janet Fitch. The language was exquisite and I found myself rereading
quotes wondering how this woman was able to encapsulate these thoughts into
prose. I had never read a book more powerful. I connected, not from the
place where I could say "I knew how this dysfunctional character felt",
but from a writer's point of view--noticing the beauty of the written word.
I knew I "got it" when I gave it to my step-daughter to read,
knowing she would feel some of the angst this character has felt about her
own mother and she would truly connect with the character in the novel.
However, there is only one that I can say is the best book I have ever read.
For me this book is The Prince of Tides. I carried it close to my heart
while I was in a very uncertain place in my life. It was my beacon to help
me survive my own feelings of self doubt. Although I wasn't much like any
of the characters, I vacillated at times thinking I could very well have
part of Savannah inside of me. That was quite disturbing.- but it allowed
me to "show up". Yet, this book was powerful and I couldn't wait
to get to each new page, savoring the words and longing to read more. As
I approached the end, the sadness began to appear. What would I do when
this book ended? Would there ever be another that touched me so deeply?
The Prince of Tides was my friend and my soulmate for the duration of our
time together. One hot summer night, in a hotel room far away from home,
while my husband was sound asleep, I gingerly closed the book shut. I never
have again had this reaction to a book. I laid there and sobbed for the
loss of an incredible piece of writing and friend.
Books reach out to us when we need them the most--sometimes we don't know
why. Power comes in all different forms - tears, laughter and incredible
insight. Like Trish Rubin noted - sometimes they find us.
I am an Area of Interaction Leader in an International Baccalaureate Middle
Years Program School in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. I have been blessed with
wonderful mentors such as Hope Jenkins and Trish Rubin and have met Ellin
Keene during my time spent at Columbia. Reading is my passion and fortunately
for me, I head up our Language Arts department for the middle school, Humanities,
Counseling Center and am team leader for four teams of teachers. I am also
in the progress of receiving my masters in ed administration. Can't wait
to read more wonderful stories.
Alexis Ducat
======================================
Mary Anne Kosmoski chose several books about teaching:
hi! This is really difficult. There are so many books that I have read and
re-read that have made an impact on my lif. I guess the pair that stands
out the most is "Teacher, The Geranium on the Windowsill Just Died..."
by Albert Cullum and "Lisa Bright and Dark." I chose them as a
pair because they were a reading assignment for an Educational Psych class
I took as a college junior some 20 years ago. At first they frightened me
with the power that a teacher holds in the lives of their students. Many
years later, finding them in an old box, they gave me hope that there are
many teachers I have met in my career that do make an incredible, indelible
positive impact on their students.
What I do.. currently, I serve as a curriculum resource teacher in the areas
of reading and gifted education in an inner city middle school. I have taught
gifted education for about 20 years. I have also worked as a curiculum specialist
at the district level and as a sight based administrator at an elementary
school.
Mary Anne
======================================
Terrie Hinojosa chose "a simple book":
I've read so many books that have touched an understanding deep within...but
a rather simple book changed my hardline approach to the issue of the death
penalty...A Lesson Before Dying touch me to the core and for the first time
I questioned beliefs that I found were brought from my childhood and not
my own. It was powerful in that I began to question other beliefs, some
I continue with and others I have found I no longer need.
I have to say though that "Mosaic of Thought" is a book that I
have had more AH!HAH!s (the lightbulb just went on) than anything else I
have read in a long, long time.
I am currently teaching at risk students Language Arts and Social Studies
in an all 6th grade campus. I am also pursuing my masters in Library and
Info. Science. This semester I am taking 9 semester hours. But that means
I finish this summer....yea! Terrie Hinojosa Baker 6th Grade LaPorte, Tx
======================================
Carol Lea Macke wrote:
Hi, I love reading about the moments other people really connect with text.
I don't remember really connecting with a single book, I get "lost"
into the story, the same way I do a well done movie. Lately, the books that
I most connect with, and really avoid, are stories where a mother has to
face with death of her child or husband. I have not had to face it myself
but I don't want to make those connections because I ask myself "how
would I feel?"
I am a math teacher in a small middle school (500 students). Some of my
other roles are department chair, C.F.A.S.S.T. trainer (sorry, my brain
is not working-I can't remember what the acronym stands for but it is California's
support system for beginning teachers) and Support Provider (for our beginning
teachers).
I'm looking forward to this discussion.
Carol
Almondale Middle School
Littlerock, CA
======================================
Susan Hurstcalderone shared her early love of reading:
My first connections with the outside world came through the books I read.
Growing up in an isolated area with few extras, we were happy to have the
basics and never missed what we did not know about. But somewhere out there
was another world...one that I wanted to know about, to experience, to live.
Many hours during the hot, humid summers were spent under the large maple
that shaded part of the backyard. From that spot I visited many many lands,
learned of many cultures, considered foreign ideas and thoughts, and had
the world opened to me. I visited the rain forest; I sailed the seas; I
hiked to the depths of the Grand Canyon and experienced many different ways
of life. There was a big world out there and I was a part of that world.
I never felt left out because of these experiences. My books were my ticket
to experience the world.
The years passed and I actually have seen those "visits" of my
youth. My memories of each are just as real from both experiences. My reading
continues to be as varied as before. Several of you have mentioned books
that have touched me in a special way as an adult. Anne Lindbergh's Gift
from the Sea has touched my soul. A visit to the shore is a spiritual renewal.
Her words, with meanings on many levels, renew that spiritual part of my
inner soul when my physical soul can not be there. There are others that
I reread on a regular basis because I continue to find new meaning with
each reading. With each decade of life, there seems to be a special piece
that hits the spot.
A small book given to me many years ago calls for frequent rereading....Springs
of Indian Wisdom.
And now, in the middle period of life when we are called upon to keep things
going for the generation ahead and the generation behind, there are words
of wisdom in the poem "Warning" by Jenny Joseph....
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple With a red hat which doesn't
go, and doesn't suit me, And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer
gloves And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter........
I'm not there yet, but I do have that purple outfit ready to go. In the
meantime, I teach science (grades 6, 7, & 8) and coordinate science
for a K-8 building.
Thanks for the memories.
Susan
======================================
Alexis Ducat replied:
Susan,
Reading your words brought tears to my eyes. In fact, reading all of this
beautifully etched stories of reading, makes me want to go out and buy all
of these books to feel - just to feel. Thank you for sharing your touching
words with all of us.
Alexis
======================================
And Deb Bambino suggested we just let the postings "unroll":
Hi,
I agree with your sentiments about all the powerful messages that folks
are sharing. Don't feel obligated to respond just yet. Part of the power
of these first two rounds is just letting all the connections unroll without
cross conversation.
At first, I was nervous because no responses were coming in, but it's really
growing now! I also felt like I needed to write briefly so others wouldn't
feel they had to write a lot...boy was I off the mark : )
What a great group!
I wonder how it must feel to Ellin to have inspired so much rich feeling
with her work...
Deb
======================================
Joanne wrote:
I am a librarian switching from the public and academic sector to answer
a calling to the world of the middle school student. At the moment I am
a substitute, preparing myself for a teaching position in the Fall.
The first time I read the poem Sympathy by Paul Lawrence Dunbar I really
didn't "get it". I discovered the poem because I had read that
Maya Angelou got the title of her book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings from
it. From the first reading I loved its poetry, its pathos, and its rhythm,
but I wasn't sure what he was saying. I had always equated a caged bird
with our little pet parakeets (text to self connection!), making the assumption
that they were happy little creatures, singing with joy because it was joy
I felt in listening to their song. Thus it took me several readings to get
that image out of my confused mind and to understand why the bird "beats
his wing Till its blood is red on the cruel bars". I read the poem
now and wonder how I ever misunderstood it. Now its meaning is so clear
to me and its analogy to slavery/lack of freedom so apparent. But, in best
Ellin Keene tradition, when my understanding was lacking, I kept reading
until comprehension dawned. :)
sympathy
by Paul Lawrence Dunbar
1872 - 1906
I know what the caged bird feels, alas! When the sun is bright on the upland
slopes, When the wind blows soft through the springing grass And the river
floats like a sheet of glass, When the first bird sings and the first bud
opes, And the faint perfume from its chalice steals - I know what the caged
bird feels
I know why the caged bird beats his wing Till its blood is red on the cruel
bars; For he must fly back to his perch and cling When he fain would be
on the bow a-swing; And the blood still throbs in the old, old scars And
they pulse again with a keener sting - I know why he beats his wing!
I know why the caged bird sings, ah me, When his wings are bruised and his
bosom sore, - When he beats his bars and would be free; It's not a carol
of joy or glee, But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core, But
a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings - I know why the caged bird sings!
======================================
Susan Fedor wrote:
Maybe it was the time of my life that made reading Reynolds Price's Letters
to a Man in the Fire such a powerful experience. This is my time in life
with an increasingly urgent search for meaning. Price, a survivor of incredible
battles with cancer of the spine, was writing letters to a young medical
student who had asked him the big questions: Is there a God. And if so,
why does he allow such suffering. The letters are Price's attempt to answer
these questions from the understanding he had come to during his own perilous
disease.
I knew the book was powerful because I had to read and reread parts of it
to understand. I grappled with some passages word by word and tried to knead
them into meaning for me. Then I had to read parts of it out loud. Then
I had to underline parts. Then I had to try to tell others what the book,s
message was. Finally, I argued with others about the validity of the conclusions
Price makes.
I have read many powerful books and this was just one. But thinking back,
I knew it was powerful because of the staying power it held in my mind.
Truman Capote's "A Christmas Memory" was a find for me early on
and a selection that I would read many times orally over the years. I know
Capote's fine genius for artful description creates mind pictures for his
readers. I knew this was powerful work because I began to find, in my own
writing his cadences, his combining of images, his patterns.
I am a reader. Last night, I read Holes because so many people on the discussion
list were talking about it. Today, I cornered three language arts teachers
before school and convinced them to read it, too. I lent my copy to a student
and told him I wanted to see him in my office on Monday to talk about it.
I am the founder and president of a bookclub. I cannot imagine life without
books.
I'm also a principal of a sixth grade school in South Carolina.
======================================
Deborah Bambino wrote:
Hi Everyone,
We're going to continue with "Round One" until about noon EST
tomorrow. If you haven't had a chance to join in, I hope that will give
you time to do so.
Hearing other peoples' stories of deep understanding has already pushed
my thinking and practice about the ways we help students to become readers.
Deb
======================================
Naomi Smith wrote:
Well, I have been reading all the ones and twos and thinking about how to
contribute. This is my third reading of Mosaic, and I feel it is a very
powerful book.
I remember wanting to read at an early age, but the theory then was "let
them learn in school." So I had to wait. I remember Alice and Jerry
and Jip in my first readers. I guess that is how I learned to decode. Billy
Collin's Poem, First Reader (page 1), tells the story "It was always
Saturday and he and she were always pointing at something and shouting,
'look!' pointing at the dog, the bicycle...." I remember "Jump,
Jip, Jump". Growing up in a project in New York City, the world of
Alice, Jerry and Jip was strange, but I longed for such a life (Text to
Dream connection?)
I knew during my first year of teaching that the basal was not what I wanted
to share with my students. I read children's literature and loved it. I
knew that giving my students a chance to enjoy these books was important,
but was it enough? On page 19/bottom it says "The teachers who posed
important questions believed the compendium of skills lifted from the basal
scope and sequence was irrelevant, uninteresting, and inadequate in terms
of teaching children how to comprehend, but they didn't know what skills
or strategies with which to replace that scope and sequence." This
was my concern.
On page 21 it says, "many of the studies that examined the thinking
of proficient readers pointed to only seven or eitht thinking strategies
used consistently by proficient readers." Mosaic has brought together
the research and the path forward.
Naomi
======================================
Kathy Renfrew's early reading led her to teach in Australia:
Hello All,
Better late then never. I was trying to remember when I learned to read
and I think I as around 4. I was in a private kindergarten (that was thinly
kind way back when) Little red School House I believe. I was a voracious
reader. I devoured Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, Cherry Ames, Trixie ...you
get the idea. I was always getting into trouble because at bed time, I would
lie on my floor in the doorway reading from the light in the hall. Anyway,
from there I progressed to Harlequin Romances and Barbara Cartland books.
I hate to admit this but I actually became all those girls . I would live
those books. I guess that is probably my first real connection. It is all
my mother's fault as that was what she was reading in those days.
Anyway one of the connections was that many of those books were based on
ranches in Australia. From my reading I developed an unbelievable desire
to go to Australia. I did too!! Again many years ago I spent two years teaching
there. This writing was so much fun . thanks for the probe Deb.
Kathy from Vermont
======================================
Deborah Bambino moved the conversation to the next stage:
Good morning!
It's time to expand the conversation about Mosaic. Please feel free to post
comments, questions, replies or experiences at this time.
I'm very excited about the possibilities of putting together the strategies
of Guided Reading (Decoding) with those found in Mosaic for building understanding.
For the last few years I was very busy making sure I had materials on all
different reading levels that matched the themes I taught in science. I
wanted everyone to have a way in to the curriculum. However, I was missing
the modeling piece about how to make meaning at increasingly complex levels.
As I think about rolling this understanding out with other teachers and
administrators, I can already hear their questions about managing a classroom
that uses these strategies. How might you organize your block of time to
make room for the "mystery implicit in the stone"(p 216)?
Teaching thematically is what worked best for me, especially with a project
focus to guide or authenticate students' efforts. Do other folks use themes
as the umbrella for their reader's and writer's workshops?
How might you help new folks get started with the metacognitive workshop
approach?
Deb
======================================
Susan Fedor wrote:
I've lent my copy of the book to a teacher on staff who says I'll get it
back tomorrow complete with my margin notations and some of hers added.
That's the way I like to have a book, already marked by a previous reader;
even in college I always bought used books not just to save money.
So, no page numbers here....
Not to be deterred: I was so struck by the framework of text to text, text
to self, and text to world connections that I explained this to my book
club and our conversation about our last book took on a new, richer dimension.
Our talk became more deliberate and our analysis more systematic.
======================================
Ellen Berg wrote (in response to Deb Bambino):
Deb Bambino wrote: "However, I was missing the modeling piece about
how to make meaning at increasingly complex levels."
I, too, was rushing from the mini-lesson to the practice, completely skipping
the modeling. How often have all of us rushed through that part? The longer
I teach, the more I notice how effective modeling is. The key is somehow
keeping ourselves from feeling impatient to get to the heart of it all...though
really, modeling is the heart of good instruction.
Deb wrote: "As I think about rolling this understanding out with other
teachers and administrators, I can already hear their questions about managing
a classroom that uses these strategies. How might you organize your block
of time to make room for the "mystery implicit in the stone"(p
216)?"
I have just begun to try some aspects of a reading workshop in my classroom
during third quarter. I teach in 80 minute blocks. For the first 5-10 minutes
I have been reading aloud from _Hatchet_. I have been modeling some text
to self connections, and I have found the kids doing the same. My students
then complete the day's reader response journal (from Nancy Roberts' manual)
(another 10 minutes). Sometimes I incorporate the mini-lesson into the modeling,
other times I use it as a separate activity after journals. Finally, we
get to work on the day's activities. Students are in leveled groups for
guided reading with me but are working in other groups on a research project
right now. I send 6-8 students to the library, 3 students to the mini-computer
lab on my floor, 4 students to my computers to use the CD encyclopedia,
and the rest work with me in the guided reading groups.
The Terra Nova pointed out my students cannot identify stated information
in a passage, so I'm working on the "right there" aspect of the
QAR strategy. I'm trying to find materials on their level, but time and
resources being what they are, it's less than ideal. HOWEVER, I was excited
to hear a young man in my homeroom explaining a word problem to another
student telling him, "That's right there information."
What I'm lacking right now is independent reading time in my classroom.
I feel such a crunch to accomplish everything that it's hard for me to give
up that time. I know just how crucial it is, but I wonder how to fit in
all the research and writing skills I need to teach. I imagine a bi- or
tri-weekly format might work, but in all reality until I have time to plan
it thoroughly I know it's on the back-burner.
Deb wrote: "Teaching thematically is what worked best for me, especially
with a project focus to guide or authenticate students' efforts. Do other
folks use themes as the umbrella for their reader's and writer's workshops?"
The science teacher and I are actually collaborating on a thematic unit,
"Man-made and Natural Disasters". I can see how thematic, integrated
units might really benefit students' reading comprehension. The longer you
are immersed in a theme, the more context you are building. Children have
the opportunity to compare information and really form an opinion about
what they are reading and learning.
I really wish I could observe a reading workshop! Does anyone know of a
teacher in the St. Louis, MO area who has a good example? I have some questions
that might be answered if I could just see how it all worked.
Ellen Berg
======================================
Ellen Berg wrote again to discuss an excerpt from "Mosaic":
On page 140 Ellin Keene writes, "If Jane Kenyon had chosen to end the
lines of her poem, 'Three Small Oranges," with different words, if
I didn't know she died from leukemia, if my own experiences were different,
my images would have been different, and therefore, my comprehension of
the poem different."
Knowing that, seeing that comprehension is both personal and dynamic, how
reasonable is it for standardized tests to include selected response questions
that go beyond "right there" or "think and search" type
factual questions? If a reader's response is so intensely personal, how
are my students to "guess" what the test writer's intent was?
Especially since my students are living vastly different lives than the
test writers.
Our state is making some progress on testing. Our high stakes state test--the
Missouri Assessment Program--requires students to answer constructed response
questions that seem to accept diverse answers as long as they are reasonably
supported by what the student's explanation is. However, our students still
take the Terra Nova, and the comprehension questions are still on there.
Am I missing something?
Ellen Berg
======================================
Then Ellen Berg contributed a question for Ellin Keene, who was about
to join the list conversation:
Ellin,
Many of your examples come from your work in elementary schools. I was wondering
what modifications, tips, etc. you might have for those of us trying to
adapt our middle school classrooms to reflect the comprehension strategies
in _Mosaic_? My biggest struggle is finding pieces short enough to model
the strategies on. Do you recommend using snippets of longer works? I have
already used picture books, and I like the results I've gotten, but I want
to expose them to even more.
Thank you for participating in our book chat! Your book has opened a whole
new world to me both as a reader and a teacher.
Ellen Berg
======================================
Naomi Smith wrote:
Just on the question of Independent reading time. As I understand it, after
a mini lesson, students spend time practicing the strategy (thinking about
it as they read) and then sharing their successful use of the strategy.
So that independent reading time is very important. Or are you talking about
additional independent reading time?
Naomi
======================================
Anne Jolly shared her enthusiasm for Mosaic:
I'm going to rush to be one of the first to throw in my two cents on Mosaic
because I fully expect to feel agreeably intimidated by (and to learn from)
the more insightful comments our eloquent language arts folks will make.
As a secondary science teacher I looked forward to reading some "out
of field" stuff like Mosiac and being able to throw around some yawner
terms like "metacognition" as I spoke with language arts colleagues.
So I ordered a copy and prepared to plow diligently through it.
Zap! What an unexpected pleasure! As I read Mosiac I wondered if I could
really be enjoying a professional book this much, and learning at the same
time! First, let me say that the style was totally captivating. Ellin and
Susan have tremendous skill in crafting written material that generates
exploding ideas. As I read, my mental backdrop became a moving scenario
of how some of these ideas might play out in a middle school science class.
For example, using the suggested strategies, students could begin to develop
some really deep thinking processes that go beyond "mere" understanding
- and maybe even enjoying - their textbook material (as if that wouldn't
be wonderful enough!). What if kids learned to dissect (a good science term)
their thinking and examine it with regard to solving problems and drawing
conclusions about topics they encounter in other subject areas? What a good
critical-thinking model these authors have unveiled!
Ellin and Susan's insights into ways of teaching reading comprehension as
a strategic process also appeals to my deepest science instincts -- real
learning is about process!
I've been trying to tune in to how to help my students develop better reading
comprehension for several years now. You can probably tell by my earlier
naïve comment about metacognition that my teacher prep coursework occurred
long, long ago. I've plowed through information on teaching reading comp
and asked colleagues for help. Now I finally find the help I need - ironically
the very year I leave the classroom for a different position. At least I
can share this resource with many teachers with whom I come in contact.
Thanks to Ellin for your wonderful insights, and for sharing them in an
interesting as well as an informative manner. You are an inspiration.
Anne Jolly
======================================
Deb Bambino wrote:
How reasonable is it for standardized tests to include selected response
questions that go beyond "right there" or "think and search"
type factual questions? If a reader's response is so intensely personal,
how are my students to "guess" what the test writer's intent was?
Especially since my students are living vastly different lives than the
test writers.
I think Ellen is definitely on to something here. I want our kids to be
able to make and support reasonable answers, but they shouldn't be expected
to parrot the test maker's ideas.
I remember being blown away once because one of my students thought Emily
Dickinson was talking about nuclear war in her poem, "Will There Really
Be A Morning?". However, when I listened to my student's explanation,
it was plausible. He didn't know anything about Dickinson, but he connected
with her text.
Deb
======================================
And Deb picked up on Ellen Berg's question about middle grades materials:
Hi,
I'm interested in Ellen's question about materials too. I've been thinking
that we could use articles from student magazines, poems, short stories
and excerpts.
A colleague once encouraged me to use "Minute Mysteries" to teach
comprehension skills. I just remembered her advice. Since mysteries require
students to pay attention to details or clues in order to solve the problem,
I think her advice bears repeating.
Deb
======================================
Naomi Smith wrote this about Mosaic:
On page 119 there is a section Some Key Ideas in which the authors look
at what Proficient readers do. It states "However, when an answer is
needed, proficient readers determine whether it can be answered by the text
or whether they will need to infer the answer from the text, their background
knowledge, and/or other text;" I believe that students will do better
on standardized tests, because they will know what proficient readers do,
and practice those strategies. of course, we want our students to perform
well, but traditional test sophistication is not the answer.
Naomi
======================================
Juli Kendall joined the conversation:
Ellen Berg wrote: "What I'm lacking right now is independent reading
time in my classroom. I feel such a crunch to accomplish everything that
it's hard for me to give up that time. I know just how crucial it is, but
I wonder how to fit in all the research and writing skills I need to teach.
I imagine a bi- or tri-weekly format might work, but in all reality until
I have time to plan it thoroughly I know it's on the back-burner."
Here's what has worked for me -
I think the importance of independent reading time in the classroom cannot
be over emphasized. It's the time when students get to use "on their
own" the strategies that they are learning in lessons and see modeled
in the classroom. Developing "the habits of readers" takes not
only reading but choosing books. I have taken the strategies of questioning
and inferring and used them to teach students about choosing books. We are
still new to this but I am seeing big changes in independent reading and
the conversations we have about books and authors. _Mosaic_ got me started,
and my students are leading me along the road.
Using a scoring guide to judge their efforts for book choice and independent
reading has really been a big motivator.
Ellen Berg wrote: "Many of your examples come from your work in elementary
schools. I was wondering what modifications, tips, etc. you might have for
those of us trying to adapt our middle school classrooms to reflect the
comprehension strategies in _Mosaic_? My biggest struggle is finding pieces
short enough to model the strategies on. Do you recommend using snippets
of longer works? I have already used picture books, and I like the results
I've gotten, but I want to expose them to even more."
This is what has helped my kids - I have used selections from the wonderful
literature anthology we have. I think it is published by McDougall Littel.
They are no more than 15 to 20 minutes long in a shared reading format and
have lead us into learning strategies and Book Passes with some of the authors.
The examples in _Mosaic_ have given me a great jumping off point.
Just sharing some ideas...
Juli
======================================
Kathy Renfrew wrote:
As I think about Mosaic, I immediately make a connection to the work I have
been trying to do with my kids in literature circles. I am thinking particularly
of the role of connector. How easy this role would be for my students if
they were captured by and understood the strategies of text to text, text
to self and text to the world.
I remember when I read Mosaic for the first time, thinking to myself."
I do that automatically when I read" I don't think I was specifically
taught those as reading strategies. I just do them because they help me
make sense of whatever I am reading.
it makes so much sense to teach these strategies to our kids.
Kathy from vermont
======================================
Ellen responded to an earlier comment by Naomi:
Naomi Smith wrote: "Just on the question of Independent reading time.
As I understand it, after a mini lesson, students spend time practicing
the strategy (thinking about it as they read) and then sharing their successful
use of the strategy. So that independent reading time is very important.
Or are you talking about additional independent reading time?"
Additional. We have so much more to do, I just don't think we have enough
time in class to just read. How do other language arts teachers deal with
this situation? How do we fit in all the other stuff and have enough time
to just enjoy and practice reading?
Ellen Berg
======================================
Mary Anne wrote:
Ellen, As a school we recognized lack of independent reading time. During
our advisory period, two days a week, out entire school shuts down for silent
sustained independent reading. Even the secretaries shut off their phones
and model independent reading. It still isn't enough, but it is more than
we had at the beginning!
Mary Anne
======================================
Marsha Ratzel wrote about her book experiences:
Hello all,
I am sorry that I haven't been participating to the level that my mind is
bursting with ideas. And you'll have to pardon my lack of eloquently stating
my opinion because so many of you are incredibly articulate. I have been
torn by a dilemma---two days before this chat started I got a postcard from
the library telling me that two of the books I have been on the waiting
list for had arrived. Not one mind you. But two. I have been waiting for
months. These books, Eyewitness to Power by David Gergen and"The Bear
and The Dragon" by Tom Clancy are not in the same category with all
the wonderful literature most of you all read. But I love the escapism of
Tom Clancy and the peek into the behind the scenes operation of four presidents
is breathtaking. I only get to checkout these books for three weeks because
they are non-renewable since there is such a long waiting list. The Clancy
book is over a 1,000 pages and Gergen's book is about 400. So you can see
my dilemma-----read or participate. (At least with Gergen's book I can focus
in on the presidents I am most interested, re-enter my name on the waiting
list and then read the presidents I didn't make it to this time.) So I've
been spoiling myself by reading.
Nevertheless I am haunted by Mosaic. I teach science and math so I always
struggle with understanding how to apply fiction ideas to my content area.
I thought I was doing pretty well, but I now realize that the modeling component
is just not there. I have incorporated lots of read alouds, but they aren't
the right kind (I now realize).
So I need to work at collecting a new set of materials. I "get"
that I need to more explicitly teach inferential skills. Convicted by p152's
question: "Yet how often do we create the context for them to dsicuss,
ponder, argue, restate, persuade, relate.........or otherwise work with
the information we consider critical for them to recall? To push beyond
the literal text, to make it personal and three-dimensional, to weave it
into our stories----that is to infer". Convicted, dead in my shoes
in the middle of Room 116. I have different reading levels of materials,
I have lots of supplemental trade books for them to pick up and read, I
use read alouds to expose them to ideas. But what I didn't have was a cohesive
gameplan about how to "weave" all this together to help facilitate
that big step in understanding.
So I must return to the library and search for readings and passages that
will evoke the emotional attachment to science. Wow!!!!! That's intimidating.
I have been on a quest, over the past few days, to find more original diary-type
readings for my kiddos to hear. Confused, I am wondering how to proceed.
How to "play with imagination as we mentally expand the text"?
I wonder if students always have enough background knowledge to do this
in science and math?
I know, for example, that students weren't connecting to Robert Hooke and
Antoni van Leeuwenhoek important contributions to microscopes in the 1600s.
So I let them perform Hooke's experiment with the cork cells and we tried
to use crude lens to "look" at these cells trying to simulate
what they must have experienced. Then I re-read some of Hooke's original
text describing cells and bee legs. Then we go back to the textbook section
on the History of Science and I know they have much better comprehension
of it. So, do I need to build background before they can jump to understanding
the textbook?
And my last thought, who can't love Anne and The Secret Garden. That's my
students. The textbook is obviously way too hard for them to read. But they
want to read it. They are curious and want to know more about what we're
studying. I'm "mean" because I don't always answer their questions
and encourage them to test their ideas in the lab or read about it in a
book. Then we discuss what they've learned and how it fits into the larger
idea. But they aren't always successful when they try independently reading
the text.
So I've tried to supplement with trade books that are on a lower reading
level. But I never had a cohesive plan for teaching fix up strategies on
how to use that in science books. And I stand convicted again on the count
that I haven't modeled anything. I didn't know that was key. Now I do and
I'm resolved to "fix it". I also have to tell you that my mind
is racing to my math students. We are using a wonderful problem solving
based series, Connected Math Program, that gives the kids fits. In large
part, since this is our first year of implementation they don't have any
experience, because they can't read tthe text closely enough to really,
really understand what the problem is asking and pulling out clues to help
them solve it. I will spend the next couple of weeks thinking about a plan
for that class too.
So I won't be chatting anymore. I have too much to do since my classes are
in such a sorry state. (Just kidding about the chatting part). I am committed
to thinking about the ideas in this book, getting an outline of them in
my mind, and then formulating a plan for a small scale attempt for the rest
of the year. My weaving won't be a huge one. But maybe I can do something
on a small scale well that will have a lasting impact on their reading comprehension.
And I'm also very committed to more purposeful modeling and finding materials
that will emotionally connect my kids to the subject. I think that is the
biggest idea I'm taking away from reading this book. Thanks to the authors
because I needed this, or should I say, my students needed you.
Marsha
======================================
Deb replied:
Marsha,
It sounds like you've been "modeling" without making it explicit.
I wouldn't waste a lot of time beating myself up...you've got bigger fish
to fry...in terms of your students, and your own independent reading : ).
Thanks for sharing so much of your self and your classroom experiences.
Maybe eloquence is in the eye, ear and heart of the reader. I was moved
by your comments and your resolve to implement the strategies we learned
in Mosaic.
Thanks, Deb
======================================
Joanne wrote in response to earlier comments by Anne Jolly:
Anne wrote: "So I ordered a copy and prepared to plow diligently through
it. Zap! What an unexpected pleasure! As I read Mosiac I wondered if I could
really be enjoying a professional book this much, and learning at the same
time! First, let me say that the style was totally captivating. Ellin and
Susan have tremendous skill in crafting written material that generates
exploding ideas."
I have to write and agree with Anne here. I remember opening up Mosaic of
Thought, dreading how quickly I would fall asleep over yet another "textbook".
I was delighted with the style and complete ...... what? ......... availability/accessibility
of the text. Even I, whose unused teaching degree dates back to 1975, could
follow and nod and agree my way through this terrrific guide. Thank you
Ellin and Susan.
Going hand in hand with Ellin's prescription for the need for independent
reading time, is the research findings of Krashen and, I think it is McQuillan,
that I am studying in my School Libraries course. Raising literate children
is directly linked to the AMOUNT children read. The more they read (books,
magazines, newspapers, comics, whatever), the more they learn how to read
and comprehend what they are reading. (And, naturally, what follows next
is........ increase in test scores, which is crucial these days.)
Regardless of tests, though, we simply have to push reading into our student's
minds and hands. I subbed today, and as students finished their assignments
I told them to sit quietly at their desks and read something. I had my book
(Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland) in full view as I read and monitored
the class. I could not believe how the vast majority of these students chose
to sit staring off into space rather than pull out a book and read to pass
the time.
And so it goes. Our work is cut out for us....... Thank goodness for books
like Mosaic. They are certainly sharpening my dull scissors.
Joanne Stanker
======================================
"Mosaic of Thought" co-author Ellin Keene wrote in response
to all the conversation:
Hello everyone, I've been trying to get connected to the conversation you've
had for a couple days and feeling like I was outside pounding on a window
and a great party was going on just inside the window. I have read with
great interest what you all have written and want to respond to a question
posed directly to me yesterday by Ellen Berg. It related to modifications
for middle school.
Since Mosaic was published we have done much more work in middle schools
with great success -- much of which is captured in Cris Tovani's new book,
I Read it, But I Don't Get It. Of course there are many adaptations related
to use of time and, as you suggest Ellen, with respect to materials. We
have found that many of the picture books with weighty themes are just as
useful in middle school as in elementary school. The kids don't seem to
react negatively to them and of course there are so many with themes far
more comprehensible to middle schoolers than elementary children. For example,
I have a huge text set with Holocaust themes, another with immigration themes,
etc. The topics are moving and important to middle schoolers and they are
short enough to be really useful for mini lessons.
Secondly, I use pieces out of the New York Times Sunday Magazine section
and Week in Review section -- both available on line -- frequently with
older kids. Look especially for the "end page" and "what
were they thinking" in the magazine and so many of the op ed pieces
in the week in review. It's a constant source. Similarly, the New Yorker
(yes, I know there's a theme emerging here) has its famous "Talk of
the Town" pieces at the beginning of each week's magazine and many
are very appropriate (not all!) and a perfect length for modeling. I also
love to use Czeslaw Milosz' poetry (really short prose) as in his book Road
Side Dog --- and turn often to old favorites like Cynthia Rylant's Waiting
to Waltz.
The newspaper is a never ending source as is Newsweek, etc. Don't forget
the picture books, though, you'll love them more each time you read them
with kids. We often revisit the same picture book many times to explore
how a strategy is used more thoughtfully later in the strategy study than
it was earlier. They love to see their own growth.
I also wanted to respond to Marsha's ideas about applications in Science.
I would eagerly recommend anything by Richard Feynmann (the physicist who
with a simple demonstration solved the mystery of the Challenger disaster
-- the O ring in the glass of water, remember?) He writes with wisdom, humility
and humour and I think your kids would love him. I would also like to recommend
Steph Harvey's book Non-Fiction Matters which has dozens of great content
area titles and was written specifically for teachers of upper elementary
and middle school.
I will close for now, walk the dog and cherish one of my few evenings at
home with my family, but I want to thank all of you, more than I can say,
for your thoughtful reading and comments about Mosaic. As with any book,
the readers have inferred far more than the writers implied!!! I'm lucky
to have such brilliant readers and look forward to joining you throughout
this chat.
best, ellin
======================================
John Norton offered some information:
Ellin Keene wrote: "Since Mosaic was published we have done much more
work in middle schools with great success -- much of which is captured in
Cris Tovani's new book, I Read it, But I Don't Get It."
See more information at the publisher's website (Stenhouse):
http://www.stenhouse.com/0089.htm
John
======================================
Trish Rubin wrote with some more reading materials ideas:
I work as a staff developer in elemenatry grades, but I have taught for
many years in middle school. I will offer two suggestions that have worked
for demonstrating the think aloud on short texts . This comes from Teachers
College Columbia.
Use essays from the newspaper...Leonard Pitts' work is good for this...any
regular feature will do. They are usually short and contoversial and written
at a good level of challenge. Older kids like them. Also...don't laugh at
this...type up the texts of picture books. There are thousands out there
that are great to use for demos and the topics can be quite sophisticated.The
kids never know they are studing a picture book text when the words are
lifted out of the text.
Trish Rubin
======================================
Amy Heinsma wrote:
I'm Amy Heinsma, 7th Grade Language Arts & Reading, Windsor, Colorado,
joining a little late because of a family emergency. I wanted to make sure
and join in.
Round One Question - The book that I really remember from when I was younger
was called "The Girl with the Silver Eyes". It was not profound.
I was a "good" reader, but it seemed rote. I connected emotionally
(text-to-self) with this book. I truly understood the character and what
she went through feeling different from everyone else. I loved it, and it
was the first time where I felt I was understanding a book on a deeper level
that simply regurgitating facts.
Round Two - 1. The word that obviously strikes me in this book is the term
"mosaic". It brings all the pieces and strategies into a whole.
2. The phrase I chose is on page 24, discussing the mosaic, "design
we had experienced and longed to share with other teachers and children."
I realized I love to read and so do my fellow teachers, but we don't share
what we read and why we love it with each other and/or our students. It
seems vital. 3. The sentence I chose is on page 53. "We rarely see
the systematic spread of best practices." I have been on a bandwagon
to really look at classroom practice, including my own, instead of leaving
people to create their own mysterious world within their room. Not earthshaking,
but definitely reminders.
This is my second time through the book, and as I was rereading the first
chapter, I decided to write a poem. I wanted to (nervously) share it with
you.
Literacy Lessons (Read the first letter of each line)
Learning myself
Inside the world of school
Trying to teach
Engage
Reach
Acting as if
Cutting into a poem or story or essay once will make it
Yummy to my seventh graders
Learning to model my
Excitement!
Scanning isn't really reading
So I concentrate on those ones who have
Opted out
Never feeling welcome to the feast
Submerged in the buffet of letters
======================================
Ellen Berg responded to Amy's poem:
Amy,
Your poem (and bravery in sharing it) really touched me. The lines,
So I concentrate on those ones who have
Opted out
Never feeling welcome to the feast
Submerged in the buffet of letters
drew me into the reality of my poorer readers. I've shared that I am concerned
that the ease with which I have always read keeps me from understanding
how to reach the students who struggle with it. "Submerged in the buffet
of letters," so accurately conveys that feeling of drowning, similar
to how I felt when I took Chemistry.
I came across a response to a journal prompt I gave just before Christmas,
"Do you want people to think you are smart? Explain."
One of my really low readers wrote,
"It's not good to be not smart because I am in this grade and I still
don't know the first grade words." (Errors and grammar corrected)
Reading your poem and reading _Mosaic_ really is pushing me to figure out
how to help him. He acts out all the time, and I know it's because he's
drowning.
Amy, you really put the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of our children
into words. Thank you for sharing with us.
Ellen Berg
======================================
John Norton posted this:
Friends...
Deb Bambino's MiddleWeb diary this week recounts a conversation among administrators
about that old saw: "20 percent just won't learn." She explores
this truism of school life drawing on her reading of Mosaic. Here's what
she wrote. How do you respond to Deb's question:
"Do we really believe that whole groups of children don't care about
themselves? Do we really think that some kids are born without the desire
to know, the willingness to participate?"
John
DEB BAMBINO - DIARY #21
Do we really believe kids are born
without the desire to know?
Yesterday, after a "Walk Through" of her school, a principal asked our rather large group of visiting administrators what she could do about the ever present 20 percent of her students that she can't seem to reach. Everyone acknowledged the problem. Everyone had tasted their piece of this pie, no one likes it, but we've all learned to live with it.
There was plenty of blame to go around at this session. High school folks wanted to know why the middle schools hadn't "fixed" these kids, and the folks in the middle turned to ask the same question of the elementary teachers. We used a protocol and the conversation was handled politely, but there was no mistaking the purpose -- the blame game had begun.
Since we were all respectful of each other and how hard we all work, I knew it wouldn't take long for the locus of blame to be turned away from us and on to the kids and their families. A few minutes went by and sure enough, one of the principals began to talk about the lack of motivation, the "baggage" that some kids bring. I could already predict the next sentence, the one about the parents, the ones who packed those bags.
By the time this principal got around to talking about work ethic as something you either have or don't have, I was feeling pretty upset. However, she was upset too, and she was just giving voice to a very popular view about why some kids fail.
Instead of the defeated acceptance of this view of kids, a view fraught with biases based on race and class, maybe we need to look at the why's behind the disengagement. Do we really believe that whole groups of children don't care about themselves? Do we really think that some kids are born without the desire to know, the willingness to participate?
Could it be more about us and less about them? Have we presented skills and experiences galore in the primary grades fully expecting our kids to make sense of it by grades four or five?
Do we know how we understand the ways we make meaning? Is our ability to connect with text something we were taught or was it something we received as a birthright?
I don't think I was taught to understand. I was taught to cooperate in school, but at home I was encouraged to question, to talk, to think. Do we encourage our children to think in school? Do we demystify thinking by teaching about it?
I'm reading Mosaic of Thought, by Ellin Oliver Keene and Susan Zimmerman, and their focus on the ways we make meaning, and our ability to share these processes, has knocked me off my feet. As you can tell from all my questions, I'm on a thinking binge.
Is this the way in, the missing connection to the elusive 20 percent of our children? Can we help them cross the bridge from decoding techniques to real connection with texts? Are we prepared to probe and share our own process of understanding?
Are we willing to take a long look at the texts we use, texts that might make it harder for our children to forge connections because the names, faces and situations bear no resemblance to their lives? Can we take ownership of the ways we silence our children, with a look or a comment? How can we cross the bridge together?
I brought up a few of my questions in yesterday's session. I asked if people felt kids knew how to understand and and whether we felt we knew how to explicitly teach these strategies.
I mentioned that I was reading Mosaic of Thought and that it was really pushing my thinking about these issues of motivation vs. understanding. I also talked about adolescence as a time of emotional upheaval, a time when it was easier to play it cool and come without supplies, than it was to honestly admit you didn't know how to know. I'm anxious to explore these questions and apparently so were a lot of other folks in the session.
We agreed to buy the book for everyone involved in this cross-Cluster initiative. We also agreed to read the book before our next meeting in March. I know there's no one answer to helping all kids construct meaning, but I have that weird feeling you get when you are on the brink of really learning something, the feeling that this could be big. On that note, I better get back to the book and our online discussion of it.