I cannot with absolute certainty say that I’ve experienced “flow” in any academic setting throughout the course of my life. Although I was interested in the subject matter of many classes throughout life, the material and focus of the class was always determined by the teacher or professor. I also found that in most academic settings, even the most exciting material could be turned into a source of boredom when particular types of assignments and papers were assigned; not to mention the horrendously mind-numbing nature of monotone lectures.
The truth is, I learn best and am most excited about learning when I am provided with the opportunity to explore and to explore the things that I choose to explore. Every time I’ve experienced “flow” it’s been outside of a class. Speech and debate in high school consumed my life. I chose my debate case, I researched my debate case, I wrote my debate case and I debated my debate case. I chose a topic I was interested in, and I saturated myself in all the information I could find regarding that topic. It was not an assignment from a teacher, it was not a product of an essay or a lecture – it was my own. Throughout my experience in Young Democrats, I learned so much more about politics, campaigns and elections then I could have ever learned sitting in a lecture hall. I chose what I wanted to learn, and I was able to choose the way I wanted to learn it – I got hands on experience, I read newspapers, I talked to and worked with people in the field – I was in control.
I can imagine to some extent that many of my students learn in a similar manner. They learn better when an element of choice is presented, when they truly feel like they are in control of what they are learning.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
109: Assignment 2; Step Up to Writing
What do you see as your strengths and areas of growth for writing in your classroom?
Strengths
Although I only teach math, I attempt to incorporate writing into the class structure. We have a math meeting daily where students write to explain what they think the meaning of a particular vocabulary word is. They also solve a problem of the day. After solving the problem they are asked to give a written response explaning how they arrived at their answer. Often I provide them with a writing prompt to get them started. The prompt is often short and to the point "The answer is ________ because ______________________."
Areas for Growth
I have not been using the writing done by students as a way to measure their level of understanding. After reading the articles from Marilynn Burns, I can appreciate the amount of information that a student's writing can give you into their actual understanding of the concept they are working on. I need to be frequently be reading what students write in math meeting and use that information as a window into their rationale for solving certain problems. Intially I had treated such writing activities as only a tool for students, to help them clarify and organize their thoughts about problems. Now I understand it is a tool for the teacher as well.
What is one thing you can implement from the readings?
I really enjoyed the idea of having students write a short essay about a particular mathematical idea. I think it really forces students to try and grasp a deeper understanding of the procedures they do everyday. Often times we talk about what it means to subtract, or what it means when we're regrouping - but I am not sure that student's retain that information because they themselves are not the ones trying to figure out and put into words what they think is going on. It would also be a useful method of assesment and would allow me to see how I can explain these concepts better. I really felt like the samples Marilynn Burns provided gave me a deep insight to her students and not only what they knew, but how well they understood. I feel like this can be easily incorporated into a homework assignment of sorts.
Which section of Step Up for Writing Would you like?
Asking and Answering Questions: 1-38, 1-39, 1-40.
Strengths
Although I only teach math, I attempt to incorporate writing into the class structure. We have a math meeting daily where students write to explain what they think the meaning of a particular vocabulary word is. They also solve a problem of the day. After solving the problem they are asked to give a written response explaning how they arrived at their answer. Often I provide them with a writing prompt to get them started. The prompt is often short and to the point "The answer is ________ because ______________________."
Areas for Growth
I have not been using the writing done by students as a way to measure their level of understanding. After reading the articles from Marilynn Burns, I can appreciate the amount of information that a student's writing can give you into their actual understanding of the concept they are working on. I need to be frequently be reading what students write in math meeting and use that information as a window into their rationale for solving certain problems. Intially I had treated such writing activities as only a tool for students, to help them clarify and organize their thoughts about problems. Now I understand it is a tool for the teacher as well.
What is one thing you can implement from the readings?
I really enjoyed the idea of having students write a short essay about a particular mathematical idea. I think it really forces students to try and grasp a deeper understanding of the procedures they do everyday. Often times we talk about what it means to subtract, or what it means when we're regrouping - but I am not sure that student's retain that information because they themselves are not the ones trying to figure out and put into words what they think is going on. It would also be a useful method of assesment and would allow me to see how I can explain these concepts better. I really felt like the samples Marilynn Burns provided gave me a deep insight to her students and not only what they knew, but how well they understood. I feel like this can be easily incorporated into a homework assignment of sorts.
Which section of Step Up for Writing Would you like?
Asking and Answering Questions: 1-38, 1-39, 1-40.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
109: Assignment 1, Strategies that Work
Question:
On pages 17 and 18 of Strategies that Work, there is a discussion about the importance of celebrating the questions that students have. The section also states that teachers should help facilitate the answers. Although I will always entertain questions that are clearly relevant to the topic at hand, I am often not sure how to address questions that stray away from zone of relevance. How does a teacher go about facilitating such questions? Is it a matter of providing the student with the resources to answer such questions on their own at a later point? Also, is there a way to teach students how to monitor whether or not the question they wish to ask is important to their learning prior to asking it; essentially, is there a way to teach students to distinguish between important questions and an inconsequential questions?
Quote:
"The fact is all readers space out when they read. Kids need to know this, or they risk feeling inadequate when it happens to them. We share these stories of our attention lapses with our students. When they learn that adult readers space out, too, they are less likely to brand themselves poor readers at such times." – Page 27
Ironically, I had to go back a handful of times and re-read parts of these articles. I imagine that I tend to "space out" more than most adult readers. If I read something that perks my interest, my mind suddenly directs its energy to that particular concept rather than to comprehending the material I read thereafter. Luckily I have a variety of strategies at my disposal which allow me to go back and gain an understanding for the material I may have missed on the first go-around. However, the initial panic that hits once I realized that I’ve read a paragraph or two and retained no information is still rather alarming. I never imagined what it such a situation would feel like for a young reader who hasn’t developed the comprehension strategies necessary to go back and figure out exactly what had been read. Even students who are past decoding and can comprehend while reading may encounter situations where they "space out." If they don’t understand that this is normal and they do not have the tools to go back and comprehend what they read, it may become a point of frustration and lower their confidence as a reader.
Commentary:
After reading these excerpts from the book Strategies that Work, I feel like I have an understanding of why comprehension is such an important part of any literacy instruction. I also feel like there is an excellent take way from this article that can be applied to math (or any other subject matter for that matter). When any material is taught it is still important to use many of these strategies discussed. Although students will not be writing questions and connections on sticky notes while solving a specific problem like 4x6; it is important for students in to make connections to how the material effects them beyond the problem they are solving; to ask questions and reach for a more deeper understanding; and to monitor and clarify to make sure they are aware of what is occurring at every step in a problem.
On pages 17 and 18 of Strategies that Work, there is a discussion about the importance of celebrating the questions that students have. The section also states that teachers should help facilitate the answers. Although I will always entertain questions that are clearly relevant to the topic at hand, I am often not sure how to address questions that stray away from zone of relevance. How does a teacher go about facilitating such questions? Is it a matter of providing the student with the resources to answer such questions on their own at a later point? Also, is there a way to teach students how to monitor whether or not the question they wish to ask is important to their learning prior to asking it; essentially, is there a way to teach students to distinguish between important questions and an inconsequential questions?
Quote:
"The fact is all readers space out when they read. Kids need to know this, or they risk feeling inadequate when it happens to them. We share these stories of our attention lapses with our students. When they learn that adult readers space out, too, they are less likely to brand themselves poor readers at such times." – Page 27
Ironically, I had to go back a handful of times and re-read parts of these articles. I imagine that I tend to "space out" more than most adult readers. If I read something that perks my interest, my mind suddenly directs its energy to that particular concept rather than to comprehending the material I read thereafter. Luckily I have a variety of strategies at my disposal which allow me to go back and gain an understanding for the material I may have missed on the first go-around. However, the initial panic that hits once I realized that I’ve read a paragraph or two and retained no information is still rather alarming. I never imagined what it such a situation would feel like for a young reader who hasn’t developed the comprehension strategies necessary to go back and figure out exactly what had been read. Even students who are past decoding and can comprehend while reading may encounter situations where they "space out." If they don’t understand that this is normal and they do not have the tools to go back and comprehend what they read, it may become a point of frustration and lower their confidence as a reader.
Commentary:
After reading these excerpts from the book Strategies that Work, I feel like I have an understanding of why comprehension is such an important part of any literacy instruction. I also feel like there is an excellent take way from this article that can be applied to math (or any other subject matter for that matter). When any material is taught it is still important to use many of these strategies discussed. Although students will not be writing questions and connections on sticky notes while solving a specific problem like 4x6; it is important for students in to make connections to how the material effects them beyond the problem they are solving; to ask questions and reach for a more deeper understanding; and to monitor and clarify to make sure they are aware of what is occurring at every step in a problem.
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