From now on, the objective of this blog will be a little different. Instead of documenting my analysis of our weekly readings each week, I will be reporting on my experience developing a unit of study that brings literacy and science together. I will be teaching my unit for five weeks with the fifth graders at Still Waters Elementary. My unit will focus on ecology, specifically organisms that are producers, consumers, and decomposers.
One aim of my unit is to deepen student knowledge of ecological science, of course. Another equally important goal, however, is to affect students' capacity for communicating their ideas about ecology. To accomplish this goal, I plan to incorporate a variety of literacy tasks into my curriculum. One assessment I am particularly excited to apply has students recreating our ecology lessons for younger grades. How will they use their own words to transmit their science knowledge? What format will their transmissions take? How, if at all, will technology play a role?
Five weeks is not a long time. I know this. But my ambitions are high, and the teachers and students have enthusiastically embraced my ideas so far. Now to set some concrete plans on paper…
My unit will address the following Indiana Science Standards for Grade 5:
SCI.5.3 2010 - Life Science
Observe, describe and ask questions about how changes in one part of an ecosystem create changes in other parts of the ecosystem.
SCI.5.3.1 2010
Observe and classify common Indiana organisms as producers, consumers, decomposers, predator and prey based on their relationships and interactions with other organisms in their ecosystem.
SCI.5.3.2 2010
Investigate the action of different decomposers and compare their role in an ecosystem with that of producers and consumers.
Literacy Standards next week!
Monday, February 17, 2014
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Try, Try Again
When I was student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I attended several lectures by Catherine Compton-Lilly, author of Sounding Out: A Pervasive Cultural Model of Reading. I even chatted with her in the hallway a few times, although she wouldn't remember me. It is odd for me to see Dr. Compton-Lilly listed as a visiting assistant professor here, because I know her as one of the well-established, all-star faculty members in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction there. Funny to think she could have ever been anything else, although of course this is the case.
I hope that you will believe me when I say I am not namedropping because I am a jerk. I am namedropping because I have had several experiences teaching reading since first encountering Compton-Lilly's call to actively challenge the myth of "sounding out." These experiences reflect, despite my best efforts, just how difficult letting go of this prominent cultural model for reading can be. For example, Compton-Lilly describes how she consciously avoids the phrase "sound it out" during her reading instruction. I have worked for some years to excise "sound it out" from my own instruction. Yet it is still there! Directing students to "sound it out" is one of the first strategies that comes to my mind when I am reading with them. Usually, I can catch myself before I ask students to sound it out, but occasionally, it slips through.
I do not ask students to sound it out because I believe it is a valid way of teaching reading. After careful reflection on my teaching practice, I believe my inclination toward "sound it out" remains because I am not confident in my depth of knowledge of reading strategies. That is, I panic when a reader starts to struggle and do not allow my training to overtake my (wrong) instincts. "Sound it out!" is a panicked plea, rather than a contemplative response.
Reading this article was a reminder that I can do better. More importantly, it was a reminder of why providing students with a wide range of useful word-solving strategies matters. Compton-Lilly's point that "sounding out" (and other issues of pronunciation) privileges "standard" forms of English and may cause students (and adults) that experience difficulties with pronunciation to feel like failures is a powerful rationale to expand our students' range of reading strategies. That "sounding out" is an ineffective strategy is almost beside the point.
Reference:
I hope that you will believe me when I say I am not namedropping because I am a jerk. I am namedropping because I have had several experiences teaching reading since first encountering Compton-Lilly's call to actively challenge the myth of "sounding out." These experiences reflect, despite my best efforts, just how difficult letting go of this prominent cultural model for reading can be. For example, Compton-Lilly describes how she consciously avoids the phrase "sound it out" during her reading instruction. I have worked for some years to excise "sound it out" from my own instruction. Yet it is still there! Directing students to "sound it out" is one of the first strategies that comes to my mind when I am reading with them. Usually, I can catch myself before I ask students to sound it out, but occasionally, it slips through.
I do not ask students to sound it out because I believe it is a valid way of teaching reading. After careful reflection on my teaching practice, I believe my inclination toward "sound it out" remains because I am not confident in my depth of knowledge of reading strategies. That is, I panic when a reader starts to struggle and do not allow my training to overtake my (wrong) instincts. "Sound it out!" is a panicked plea, rather than a contemplative response.
Reading this article was a reminder that I can do better. More importantly, it was a reminder of why providing students with a wide range of useful word-solving strategies matters. Compton-Lilly's point that "sounding out" (and other issues of pronunciation) privileges "standard" forms of English and may cause students (and adults) that experience difficulties with pronunciation to feel like failures is a powerful rationale to expand our students' range of reading strategies. That "sounding out" is an ineffective strategy is almost beside the point.
Reference:
Compton-Lilly, C. (2005). " Sounding Out": A Pervasive Cultural Model of Reading. Language Arts, 82(6), 441-451.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
A Peek at Kindergarten
This week, we start our spring early field experience placements. I've been assigned to a kindergarten class. Although I'm excited to see and learn all that I can about those little folks, I'm also very nervous. Kindergarten is a special place--a place where, for many kids, all that is magical and just about learning and school is still intact. To preserve that wonder is a big charge. To infuse all of that kindergarten magic with learning seems a still more daunting task!
It calmed me, then, to read Cusumano's "Every Mark on the Page." Not only was it a peek into what exactly writing looks like in kindergarten/first grade, it reminded me how flexible we should be with not only what counts as writing, but with children's learning processes as well. That is, that we should look for ways to be a student's champion--to celebrate what they know--instead of taking an inventory of the ways the student is wrong.
Another useful aspect of the Cusumano article was that reminded me what writing is for. It is not about making shapes on a page, it is about making meaning. The act of decoding children's writing is the act of uncovering a story. I like stories, and this approach appeals to me greatly! Finding the elements of a story--the author's voice, its beginning, middle, and end--now becomes a way of interacting with the child's imagination as well as their writing proficiency.
Cusumano also mentions the important role of drawing in a kindergartener's writing. Of course I've seen children draw before. However, I've never considered those drawings as a way of planning for writing. This seems so obvious, that I am embarrassed by my oversight! Of course children use drawings to tell their stories! It is lapses like this that make me nervous to teach kindergarten. But I'm determined not to let my fear win. I'd say "they're just kindergarteners," but we all know they are so, so much more!
It calmed me, then, to read Cusumano's "Every Mark on the Page." Not only was it a peek into what exactly writing looks like in kindergarten/first grade, it reminded me how flexible we should be with not only what counts as writing, but with children's learning processes as well. That is, that we should look for ways to be a student's champion--to celebrate what they know--instead of taking an inventory of the ways the student is wrong.
Another useful aspect of the Cusumano article was that reminded me what writing is for. It is not about making shapes on a page, it is about making meaning. The act of decoding children's writing is the act of uncovering a story. I like stories, and this approach appeals to me greatly! Finding the elements of a story--the author's voice, its beginning, middle, and end--now becomes a way of interacting with the child's imagination as well as their writing proficiency.
Cusumano also mentions the important role of drawing in a kindergartener's writing. Of course I've seen children draw before. However, I've never considered those drawings as a way of planning for writing. This seems so obvious, that I am embarrassed by my oversight! Of course children use drawings to tell their stories! It is lapses like this that make me nervous to teach kindergarten. But I'm determined not to let my fear win. I'd say "they're just kindergarteners," but we all know they are so, so much more!
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Guided Practice for Guided Reading
One of my favorite online teaching resources is The Teaching Channel, a collection of videos, teacher Q&As, and other helpful tips on teaching. It has proven a particularly useful way for me to make sense of the multiple strategies, theories, and terms we have encountered during the course of our program. I thought it might be useful to the rest of the class to share what I found on the site about guided reading, one of the key elements of a comprehensive literacy framework discussed in Chapter 5 of Johnson and Keier's "Catching Readers Before They Fall" (2010).
As Johnson and Keier tell us, guided reading is the practice of reading texts with children that are are appropriately challenging for their instructional level. The reading lists four important factors that we are to pay close attention to to support our struggling readers, including how to give supportive book introductions, choose a focus for a guided reading lesson, and how to schedule groups so struggling students get the attention they need. While I was not necessarily confused by the information presented in the text, as someone who learns best by interacting with and watching others, I wondered if The Learning Channel had a video that might help solidify my understanding. As it turns out, they have a whole series on guided reading! You can watch the overview of the series here.
Here, I'd like to focus on one episode of the series, "Small Group Guided Reading." (I'd embed the video if I had any idea how...) In this short video, Ms. Ogier conducts two meetings with small groups to give them explicit instruction to improve their reading skills and processes. One of the most helpful aspects of the video, I think, is the opportunity to observe the kinds of language Ms. Ogier uses during her instruction. That is, exactly how she points out what her students do well and how she supports them when their reading goes astray. For example, Ms. Ogier points out a successful strategy a student uses, saying:
A note: This video shows the guided reading practice of a fifth grade classroom. Although a grade or two beyond our current interests, I think the practices and strategies demonstrated in the video are still worthwhile.
Another note: I really love how she addresses her students as "scholars." I'm definitely stealing that.
References:
As Johnson and Keier tell us, guided reading is the practice of reading texts with children that are are appropriately challenging for their instructional level. The reading lists four important factors that we are to pay close attention to to support our struggling readers, including how to give supportive book introductions, choose a focus for a guided reading lesson, and how to schedule groups so struggling students get the attention they need. While I was not necessarily confused by the information presented in the text, as someone who learns best by interacting with and watching others, I wondered if The Learning Channel had a video that might help solidify my understanding. As it turns out, they have a whole series on guided reading! You can watch the overview of the series here.
Here, I'd like to focus on one episode of the series, "Small Group Guided Reading." (I'd embed the video if I had any idea how...) In this short video, Ms. Ogier conducts two meetings with small groups to give them explicit instruction to improve their reading skills and processes. One of the most helpful aspects of the video, I think, is the opportunity to observe the kinds of language Ms. Ogier uses during her instruction. That is, exactly how she points out what her students do well and how she supports them when their reading goes astray. For example, Ms. Ogier points out a successful strategy a student uses, saying:
Good job. I like how April ... swapped the words right there, but then when she kept on reading, it didn't make sense, so she went back and she made it make sense. Good. Good readers do that.The video also provides some insight into another aspect of guided reading--scheduling reading groups. Ms. Ogier explains:
Reading text about the action seen the video lessens its impact to be sure. However, in watching the video, we are provided a means of experiencing the clamor of a busy classroom and a few ways we might manage to tame it. And even affect student learning!During Guided Reading ... two things are happening. I'm pulling groups of scholars to directly meet their needs, and then the rest of the students are rotating in reader's workstations and working independently while I'm meeting with the Guided Reading groups.
A note: This video shows the guided reading practice of a fifth grade classroom. Although a grade or two beyond our current interests, I think the practices and strategies demonstrated in the video are still worthwhile.
Another note: I really love how she addresses her students as "scholars." I'm definitely stealing that.
References:
Johnson, P., & Keier, K. (2010). Catching readers before they fall: Supporting readers who struggle, K-4. Stenhouse Publishers.
Community Literacy Dig: On the Bus
For the Community Literacy Dig project, our group decided to ride the city bus. Our rationale for choosing the bus was twofold. First, in our mid-size midwestern town there are no other options for public transportation. For families and individuals lacking their own reliable transportation, the city bus is a central method of travel to and from work, school, and other social, economic, and cultural pursuits. Second, the bus looms large in children's imaginations. For example, the song, "The Wheels on the Bus" has been a favorite childhood ditty for generations, and "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" by Mo Willems is a popular, award-winning children's book. Indeed, the city bus (not to be confused with its close cousin, the school bus) is frequently included in children's songs, literature, and other media. As a result, the city bus is a unique environment to observe literacy events situated in students' real lives.
Our group (David, Matt, Matt, Vincent, Yiding, and myself) met at the downtown bus depot at 2 pm on a Tuesday. Upon boarding the bus (and spending some time at the depot) it was clear that our rationale for riding the city bus would have to be amended from "a unique environment to observe literacy events situated in students' real lives," to "a unique environment to observe literacy events situated in some students' real lives." Bus riders, as it turns out, are not representative of the population of our mid-size town as a whole. Although we observed variation in race and gender, bus riders (at 2 pm on a Tuesday) appeared to have the same low socio-economic status (SES). We inferred their low SES from their speech (lots of talk about money), hygiene, and material goods. For example, one man used towels instead of blankets to shield his baby from the cold.
Our group noted that there were two different ways to observe literacy on the bus. The first was to consider the types of literacy one would need as a first-time bus rider. The second was to imagine the types of literacy one uses as a frequent bus rider. As a first-time rider, one would be more likely, we felt, to take note of the various safety warnings and instructions posted throughout the bus. This would, for example, require reading short, declarative statements, such as "pull to signal," in either Spanish or English. One must be able to interpret that the signal in question alerts the driver and is required to stop the bus. A frequent bus rider, on the other hand, would likely know how the bus "works" and not process the texts around the bus.
We also discovered that the literacies involved in knowing how the bus "works" operate differently than the literacies required to know where exactly you would like to depart the bus. If you have ridden a bus in another city, you likely know how to ride the bus here--like the frequent riders, you will pay little attention to the safety or instructional texts on the bus. If you are new to the route or the city, however, we felt you would use a map, converse with a neighbor, read street signs, or watch for landmarks to make your way on the bus. The literacies involved in knowing when you'd like to get off the bus, then, can again be divided into two types: literacy for first-time route riders and literacy for frequent route riders. To ensure they board the correct bus, first-time route riders begin interpreting bus routes and maps before they step foot on a bus. Once on the bus, these riders must still connect the progression of the bus through the town to the features of the map. Conversely, frequent route riders are unlikely to use a map to locate their desired stop.
In thinking about how to connect our bus ride to the Powell and Davidson article (2005), I was struck by the idea of how students might reimagine the bus as a place of empowerment. Powell and Davidson mention the efforts of several educators, including John Gust and Sandy Adams, to link literacy and students’ sense of efficacy by helping them to recognize their capacity for solving real-world problems. In these examples, students transform playgrounds and endeavor to save a mountain from strip mining. How would these same students reinvent the rules of the bus? How would they map our town? Would they, for example, devise routes that only went to parks? Or insist every route go by a park? How would students invite you to signal for your stop? Would saying "please" and "thank you" play a role?
As it currently exists, riding the city bus is frankly a depressing endeavor. The depot is dingy, riders complain to one another about their place in the world, etc. Riding the bus is not nearly as fun as the children's song implies it will be, and I truly do not know why a pigeon would want the job as bus driver in the first place. The changes children might make to the all-too-real-world activity of riding the bus would, I think, empower not only themselves, but bus riders in general. Instead of being a dreary means of moving from Point A to Point B, the city bus could be the beacon of possibility children's media purports it to be.
References:
Our group (David, Matt, Matt, Vincent, Yiding, and myself) met at the downtown bus depot at 2 pm on a Tuesday. Upon boarding the bus (and spending some time at the depot) it was clear that our rationale for riding the city bus would have to be amended from "a unique environment to observe literacy events situated in students' real lives," to "a unique environment to observe literacy events situated in some students' real lives." Bus riders, as it turns out, are not representative of the population of our mid-size town as a whole. Although we observed variation in race and gender, bus riders (at 2 pm on a Tuesday) appeared to have the same low socio-economic status (SES). We inferred their low SES from their speech (lots of talk about money), hygiene, and material goods. For example, one man used towels instead of blankets to shield his baby from the cold.
Our group noted that there were two different ways to observe literacy on the bus. The first was to consider the types of literacy one would need as a first-time bus rider. The second was to imagine the types of literacy one uses as a frequent bus rider. As a first-time rider, one would be more likely, we felt, to take note of the various safety warnings and instructions posted throughout the bus. This would, for example, require reading short, declarative statements, such as "pull to signal," in either Spanish or English. One must be able to interpret that the signal in question alerts the driver and is required to stop the bus. A frequent bus rider, on the other hand, would likely know how the bus "works" and not process the texts around the bus.
We also discovered that the literacies involved in knowing how the bus "works" operate differently than the literacies required to know where exactly you would like to depart the bus. If you have ridden a bus in another city, you likely know how to ride the bus here--like the frequent riders, you will pay little attention to the safety or instructional texts on the bus. If you are new to the route or the city, however, we felt you would use a map, converse with a neighbor, read street signs, or watch for landmarks to make your way on the bus. The literacies involved in knowing when you'd like to get off the bus, then, can again be divided into two types: literacy for first-time route riders and literacy for frequent route riders. To ensure they board the correct bus, first-time route riders begin interpreting bus routes and maps before they step foot on a bus. Once on the bus, these riders must still connect the progression of the bus through the town to the features of the map. Conversely, frequent route riders are unlikely to use a map to locate their desired stop.
In thinking about how to connect our bus ride to the Powell and Davidson article (2005), I was struck by the idea of how students might reimagine the bus as a place of empowerment. Powell and Davidson mention the efforts of several educators, including John Gust and Sandy Adams, to link literacy and students’ sense of efficacy by helping them to recognize their capacity for solving real-world problems. In these examples, students transform playgrounds and endeavor to save a mountain from strip mining. How would these same students reinvent the rules of the bus? How would they map our town? Would they, for example, devise routes that only went to parks? Or insist every route go by a park? How would students invite you to signal for your stop? Would saying "please" and "thank you" play a role?
As it currently exists, riding the city bus is frankly a depressing endeavor. The depot is dingy, riders complain to one another about their place in the world, etc. Riding the bus is not nearly as fun as the children's song implies it will be, and I truly do not know why a pigeon would want the job as bus driver in the first place. The changes children might make to the all-too-real-world activity of riding the bus would, I think, empower not only themselves, but bus riders in general. Instead of being a dreary means of moving from Point A to Point B, the city bus could be the beacon of possibility children's media purports it to be.
References:
Powell, R., & Davidson, N. (2005). The Donut House: Real World Literacy in an Urban Kindergarten Classroom. Language Arts, 82(4), 248.
Monday, January 20, 2014
Learning How-To from YouTube
I like to learn new things. Most recently, I've been learning how to restore wood furniture. I've completed two dressers, a bookcase, a few coffee tables, and a sofa table. I've also refinished a few other pieces that aren't as easy to define--a one-drawer farm-ish side table and a media cabinet-type unit I use as a liquor cabinet. This summer, I'm going to tackle my biggest project yet: a pedestal table with five chairs.
When I decided I wanted to learn how to restore furniture, I didn't consult a book, a manual, or a person. Instead, I turned to YouTube. With over 77,000 videos returned when searching for "how to refinish furniture," it would seem I'm not alone.
Refinishing furniture is hardly the only skill one can learn from YouTube. From how to roast pumpkin seeds to how to make a PDF, the user-generated content on YouTube explains it all. According to YouTube, over 6 billion hours of video are watched each month—almost an hour for every person on Earth (2014). While not all of these hours are spent watching how-to videos, the rise of YouTube as a resource for building knowledge and understanding across multiple content areas creates a variety of questions. What does it mean, for example, to understand a process laid out in an instructional YouTube video? How does it differ from understanding the process itself? What exactly is the relationship between viewing a YouTube video about roasting a pumpkin seed and understanding how to roast a pumpkin seed?
Still more questions occur when one considers the relationship between YouTube instructional videos and literacy (broadly defined). The types of knowledge and understanding required to make sense of what viewers encounter on YouTube extends beyond mere content--users must assess the accuracy of video content, determine the trustworthiness of the source, and align new knowledge with previous knowledge. These and other issues would seem to be contained within the idea of literacy 2.0, which represents the multiple ways of making meaning in the modern world. How literacy 2.0 affects school-aged children is of particular interest here. Indeed, scholarly attention to children's viewing digital media, like YouTube, is prolific. Thus far, however, focus on the relationship between YouTube instructional videos and children is less so. (I'm no expert, but after some digging on Google Scholar, I feel confident making this assertion. Please, feel free to correct me!)
One can imagine a number of questions related to YouTube instructional videos and children worth investigating. We know new media present children with multiple entry points for learning--what is the role of instructional videos in this context? How exactly do children use instructional videos? What does engagement with instructional videos look like?
Based on my own experience with YouTube instructional videos, I cannot help but wonder how I might incorporate them into my teaching. I learned how to refinish furniture. What might my students be able to learn?
When I decided I wanted to learn how to restore furniture, I didn't consult a book, a manual, or a person. Instead, I turned to YouTube. With over 77,000 videos returned when searching for "how to refinish furniture," it would seem I'm not alone.
Refinishing furniture is hardly the only skill one can learn from YouTube. From how to roast pumpkin seeds to how to make a PDF, the user-generated content on YouTube explains it all. According to YouTube, over 6 billion hours of video are watched each month—almost an hour for every person on Earth (2014). While not all of these hours are spent watching how-to videos, the rise of YouTube as a resource for building knowledge and understanding across multiple content areas creates a variety of questions. What does it mean, for example, to understand a process laid out in an instructional YouTube video? How does it differ from understanding the process itself? What exactly is the relationship between viewing a YouTube video about roasting a pumpkin seed and understanding how to roast a pumpkin seed?
Still more questions occur when one considers the relationship between YouTube instructional videos and literacy (broadly defined). The types of knowledge and understanding required to make sense of what viewers encounter on YouTube extends beyond mere content--users must assess the accuracy of video content, determine the trustworthiness of the source, and align new knowledge with previous knowledge. These and other issues would seem to be contained within the idea of literacy 2.0, which represents the multiple ways of making meaning in the modern world. How literacy 2.0 affects school-aged children is of particular interest here. Indeed, scholarly attention to children's viewing digital media, like YouTube, is prolific. Thus far, however, focus on the relationship between YouTube instructional videos and children is less so. (I'm no expert, but after some digging on Google Scholar, I feel confident making this assertion. Please, feel free to correct me!)
One can imagine a number of questions related to YouTube instructional videos and children worth investigating. We know new media present children with multiple entry points for learning--what is the role of instructional videos in this context? How exactly do children use instructional videos? What does engagement with instructional videos look like?
Based on my own experience with YouTube instructional videos, I cannot help but wonder how I might incorporate them into my teaching. I learned how to refinish furniture. What might my students be able to learn?
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