The end or just the beginning

Well, I just finished Chris Tovani book, the last chapter is titled—“ Did I Miss Anything? Did I Miss Everything?  Last Thoughts.

This is not an unfamiliar set of questions, for the last week and a half I've been asking myself the same thing. I keep going back to our assignments checking to make sure that I have done them all, that I have read all the articles, that I'm not missing anything. I've been stressed trying to balance my family, my job, and school. This was my first online class and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up. At the beginning of this blog I told you about being dyslexic and my early education. I still carry scars and fears that I'm not good enough, that I'm stupid, that people would figure me out. I'm 48 years old and it's time to put these fears and feelings of inadequacy behind me. I am an educated man. I am a good teacher.

 Tovani reminds us that we can never stop learning and progressing as teachers. On page 121 she writes “one wizened veteran told me my first year that if I was going to be a truly great teacher, I would never be satisfied. No matter how confident or experienced I become, I would never be happy. She shook her head as she said, ‘sadly, the good ones are always searching for better ways to teach children.’ She continued, ‘my wish for you is that each year you look back at your career and laugh with embarrassment about the way you used to teach. If you do this, you will continue to learn and grow.’”

In this final chapter Tovani emphasizes that we should never give up on students, that we should keep giving them the opportunities and the tools to succeed.  As teachers we never know when a student is going to catch on. We need to remember that each student is unique coming to us with their own primary discourse. It is up to us as teachers to help these students build on their existing knowledge. She makes clear that she doesn't have all the answers, that she struggles on a day-to-day basis in the classroom the same as we do. There is no quick fix in this book. What you will find are commonsense strategies and tools to help readers at all levels.

  “If teachers become distant from their own learning they will most certainly become distant from the learning of their students.”   Alyssa Willes-Keely

In closing I would like to answer the question posed on the cover of Cris Tovani’s book:

“Do I really have to teach reading?”   The answer is no I don't have to, I CHOOSE TO!!!!!!

Assessments

 Tests, quizzes, examinations, midterms, and finals are the terms that our students and many teachers call assessments. At my school most of the teacher's use multiple-choice examinations were the students put their answers on the bubble sheet. The students color in the bubble with the corresponding letter to the answer on a worksheet. The teachers go into the teacher's lounge and feed these bubble sheets into a machine that compares the students’ answers to the teacher's key. I used to think this was a great time saver.  After reading this book, I've come to realize this is just another way to separate the teachers from the students. Teachers don't even have to look at the student’s examination sheets, there is no need to check their thinking.  Technology has made our lives easier, or has it?

Throughout this book Tovani has harped on the idea of the teacher being connected to the student and modeling behaviors for good reading and comprehension. Teachers should be engaging and supportive providing students with the opportunity to apprentice the skills and behaviors to become advanced readers.

By using these bubble machines we're losing an opportunity to provide positive feedback, we are merely assigning a grade. Tovani writes on page 103 of her book “It's important that my assessments be ongoing and purposeful, useful to student as well as to me. I should be able to tell students what they are doing well and what they need to improve upon with each assessment.” She also believes there is no one perfect assessment.  If we only test for specific knowledge, our students will fake read only looking for the answers and not reading deeply. On page 104 she quotes David Perkins(1992) on “inert knowledge”:

“Startlingly often, students have knowledge that they remember when directly quizzed, but do not use otherwise. It doesn't come to mind and more authentically open ended situations of need, such as writing an essay, pondering the morning's headlines, considering alternative professions, selecting a new stereo, or for that matter, studying another subject. Knowledge of this sort is called inert. As the phrase suggests, inert knowledge is a knowledge equivalent of a couch potato: it's there but it doesn't move around much or do anything.”

Tovani  believes that we, as teachers, need to assess this inert knowledge along with our students thought process. We can assess our students’ knowledge through the use of tools such as class calendars. By having students write their thoughts and questions on their personal conversation calendar teachers will be able to have a better connection to each student. This calendar could be looked at in the same light as a text message, the student write a short comments, questions, or thoughts on the upper portion of the blocked off area for that day on the calendar. The teacher can leave a response on the bottom portion of the blocked area, allowing for an ongoing dialogue.

She also recommends the use the reading response logs, I've always referred to this as a reading diary. By having our students log their weekly reading and thoughts it will allow the teacher to check for comprehension and understanding. By assigning meaningful weighted scores to these tools, it will help keep the students motivated. Our blogs for this class is a great example of this tool. Penny will be able to read our blogs and tell what information and insight we've received from reading our books.

What works by Chris Tovani  page 115 of her book  “Do I Really Have to Teach Reading?”

What works:

1.       Decide what you want to assess. Give a variety of ways for students to demonstrate understanding. Base your assignments on what you value. One test won’t measure everything.

Teaching points:

Good readers know there are many ways for them to demonstrate understanding. They recognize that not everything is equally important, so they give time and effort to what is valued.

2.       Design assessments that are checkpoints for understanding. Because learning is an open process, assessment should also be an ongoing piece of your classroom.

Teaching point: good readers know that learning never stops. They use assessment to inform and improve their performance.

3.       Teach students how to use the assessment tool. Don't let format interfere with demonstration of knowledge.

Teaching points:  good readers know that procedures are different from performance.  If the way they are asked to demonstrate knowledge is too cumbersome, they will abandon the task. 

It's Group Time

Chapter 7 focuses on group work that grows understanding.

Quote by Arthur Appleby page 89:

 “Curriculum is often thought of as a set of specific knowledge, skills or books to be covered. I propose instead that we think of curriculum as a set of important conversation that we want students to engage in.”

Group work often brings with it its own challenges, for instance keeping the students motivated and on task. Tovani suggests that we start developing norms and rules for our groups. She believes that the students need to be involved in this process so that there will be more ownership of these rules. She suggests that we start by having each students write down a list of what they dislike in group work.

As teachers we need to make it clear that we can't accommodate every students dislikes all the time, but we can make changes when necessary. We can reconstruct groups after each project. Tovani suggests that the students develop their action or rules.

For example students might write:

“I dislike being in a group with people who annoy me. I don't want to be in a group without my buddies.  I don't like to be in a group where people don't listen to my ideas.”

Rule 1 ) I will stick it out if I'm in a group that doesn't function well. At the completion of the project I will request to be moved.

Teacher's response: I will honor group requests to the best of my ability. But as the teacher in charge of the classroom I reserve the right to the final say about group membership.

Student writes:  “I don't like being in a group where I have to do all the work and others slack off. I don't like being in a group of people who have sideline conversations and avoid their work.”

Rule 2) I will take responsibility for my own work. I know that I cannot force my peers to participate. I agree to do my part.

Teacher's role: I won't expect students to govern each other's behaviors. I will give individual grades for group work. I will monitor who is working and who is not and grade accordingly.

These are but a few examples of the ground rules that can be established by our students to govern small group activities.

Small groups allow teachers to divide students into workgroups that are appropriate to their academic needs. Stronger readers can be given more difficult text within the same genre, while the struggling readers can be given an alternative a connected reading that will allow them to function well in class.

As the year progresses, the groups can be redistributed blending the stronger readers and the struggling readers providing opportunities for peer modeling and support.

At the end of today's posts I'm not adding to what works section, I'm choosing a list entitled   “Guiding Students in Groups.” It can be found on page 98 of Chris Tovani’s book  ”Do I Really Have to Teach Reading?”

Guiding students in groups

1.   Suggestions for sharing what you've read:

A. Give an overview of what's been read so far.

B. Share something interesting from the book for example:

*a character action

*an opinion about something that's happened

*a question

*a provocative act

*a confusing part

2. Suggestions for writing or better response:

A. Share your thinking about the quote.

B. Consider questions that don't have simple answers.

C. Ask your group members their opinion.

D. Ask yourself,”am I just reading or sharing my thinking? “

E. Make a statement or recommendation, and use textual evidence to support your thinking.

Highlighters, Sticky notes, Writing in the margins oh my!

Holding thinking to remember and reuse is the focus of chapter 6.

The use of highlighters can prove to be a very useful tool for students.  The highlighters don't do the work, it merely allows our students to hold to their thinking . Marking their text gives them a way to return to important information, review, and study for a test.  Sometimes they need to be coached as to what is important enough to highlight. Many students are new to highlight have the habit of highlighting everything on the page.

Our students are not always allowed to highlight text, so a good alternative is to use a sticky notes. By using a sticky note the students’ thoughts are reinforced as they write down either questions, statements, make connections, and draw conclusions. On page 73 Trovani provides us with some possible uses for sticky notes.

She writes:  Possible uses for sticky notes.

When students can't write on the text, sticky notes make it possible to still mark things.  Sticky notes can flag a page and marking lines so readers can find a part quickly; mark confusing parts to get confirmation; hold thinking to share later.

For text that student can highlight and mark, writing in the margins can be a useful tool. As they are reading they can underline important themes, words they don't understand, and formulate questions slowing down their reading. As teachers it is important for us to model these skills, and allow our students time to grow into them. Whether they're using highlighters, sticky notes, or writing in the margins their skills would develop throughout the school year. Remember to be patient allowing the students to grow through experience.

Modeling these skills does not all have to come from the teacher, using a strategy called whole group thinking can help.  An example of this would be to give a class all the same short reading assignment.  At the end of reading have students come up to the board which has an enlargement of the article. Allow the students to engage in an open dialogue as they decide what should be highlighted, receive a sticky note, or marked the margins. This allows the stronger readers to become role models, in my experience sometimes having a student repeat the lesson in their own words will benefit the struggling reader.

What Works by Chris Tovani pages 86 and 87 from ”Do I Really Have to Teach Reading?”

What Works:

1. Give students something to look for and write as they read.  Model different ways readers mark text and hold their thinking while they read.

Teaching point: good readers trust the author in their own abilities as they read. They don't panic if at first the text doesn't make sense-they trust that there are clues in the text that will help their understanding.

2. Show students how to use double entry diary (see Chapter 2) throughout the year.  You can provide different options with these diaries for marking thinking. This tool is especially helpful when reading nonfiction text.

Teaching point: good readers know there are different ways to mark text while reading. When one tool isn't working, they can easily select another that may be more helpful.

3. Share with your students what you do to help yourself remember what you read. Perhaps you write in the margins; maybe jot notes to yourself. Notice what you do as an expert reader of your content to set a purpose, and share that with your students.

Teaching point: good readers rely on experts to show them how to navigate unfamiliar text. Let them see how you ask questions, adjust your reading rate, and note your thinking so that you can return to it later.

Why Am I Reading This?

“Why am I Reading This?”

There must be thousands or even tens of thousands of children in New Mexico asking themselves the same question as they sit down to read their school assignments. I know as a child I often wondered what it was my teachers wanted me to get out of my reading. I have to admit I've even asked the same question in regards to the readings for this class.

In chapter 5 Tovani explains the importance for determining purpose in reading. By setting a purpose in reading we can help our students determine whether they should scan for information. The example Tovani  gives is looking for a name in the phone book. We scan over many until we find the right one. She explains that readers studying a math text will most likely slow down their reading so they can catch the important information.

Defining purpose for teaching and assigning reading projects will help our students develop a purpose for finishing a difficult text. Many teachers use the same text over and over, she says this makes us experts in our content. As we know our text better and better we start asking deeper and further reaching questions than we did when we started using the text. We need to remember for many of our students it is the first time they've encountered the contents in the text we are teaching from. We need to keep in mind what it was like to be a beginning reader in a new discipline.

To help define purpose for reading, teachers can have their students formulate questions as to what they want to know from a given text. For example, a history teacher is preparing to start a unit on World War II. Having a group discussion at the beginning of the unit to determine what students know and help them formulate questions that will inspire them to push through the boring parts. Have the students write these question down on a separate piece of paper. Encourage them to look for the answers within their reading. If they don't find the answers they can write them down on sticky notes and place them in the margin to be asked in the next group discussion.

Something that I found very interesting in this chapter was the notion of having a reciting voice, and a conversation voice that we hear in our heads when we read. Tovani describes the reciting voice as being the way we hear reading when we are just reading the words but not searching for content. It often comes across as dry and boring, readers often lose interest when reading any reciting voice. The conversational voice on the other hand, is inquisitive asking questions of ourselves and of the text. She describes it as an ongoing dialogue between the reader and the text.

 I've never thought of reading in this way before, at times I do catch myself just reading the words and trying to power through a difficult text. When I do this I inevitably have to go back and read it again. On other occasions I find myself slowing my reading and searching deeper for meaning. I've even asked myself questions about what I thought was coming up in the text. Asking questions of the voices in my head seems a little schizophrenic. As far as teaching goes it seems like a good idea.

What Works - Cris Tovani page 65 of ”Do I Really Have to Teach Reading?”

What Works:

1. Be selective about what kids read. If everything in the text isn’t important or well-written, don't assign it all. Sift out the best parts-it doesn't have to be all or nothing.

Teaching point: good readers skip, skim and scan texts continually, based on their purpose. They also reread, slow down, and reread again if it suits their purpose.

2. Be specific about your instructional purpose. Give students a lens for reading the piece.

Teaching point: good readers know a purpose will help them focus their reading and determine what is important. They also know that purpose determines how they read the material.

3. Decide how your students will use what they are reading.  Explain to them how they will use the information when they are finished.

Teaching point: good readers approach assign text with a renewed assault in mind. They consider what they will have to do with the information after reading.

What is the difference between learning to read and reading to learn?

What is the difference between learning to read and reading to learn?

 Chapter 4- Real rigor:  Connecting students with assessable text.

 Tovani explains that most text we use in our content are inconsiderate text. They are written at a higher reading level than our students’ reading capabilities. As teachers we need to remember that not every student in are ninth-grade class reads the ninth grade level. If our text is difficult for our strongest readers, then how well will our struggling readers do? We are most likely setting them up for failure.

Often our struggling readers become behavioral problems in the classroom. They become bored and disruptive because they can't keep up. So what can we do about this? According to Tovani we can adapt  our teaching by introducing assessable texts. We can introduce reading materials to complement the content in our texts such as magazine articles, newspaper articles, and other books in the content area. According to Tovani, an assessable text should be interesting, well-written, and appropriately matched to the level of the students reading them. Knowing that all of our students are not accomplished readers, we could provide our struggling readers with an alternative text. WHAT? I know some of you may be thinking that Tovani is suggesting that we lower our rigor. What she is suggesting is that we don't just teach to our content, but we teacher content to our students.

She gives the example of a literature class where the stronger readers read the book Huckleberry Finn, while the struggling readers read the book Finn (2001) by Matthew Olson. The concepts in Finn mirrored those of Mark Twain's masterpiece. After both groups completed their reading, they were able to have group discussions on the similarities and differences. They were able to discuss the main literary themes that the literature teacher was focusing. I see this as a win-win situation both the mature readers and the struggling readers were able to gain the same knowledge and insight into literature to reading texts that were appropriate to their reading level, without sacrificing rigor.

On page 38 Tovani includes a statement by Richard Allington (2002b) that addresses the problem of harder books.

“Unfortunately, the idea of harder textbooks has captured the attention of educators and policymakers interested in raising academic achievement. But harder books won't foster the growth of content learning. Think about your own attempts to acquire new content knowledge. Imagine you want to learn about building a website. Do you reject the books you might use because they are too easy? Do you say to yourself,”Gosh, only 11 words on this page that I cannot pronounce---not hard enough for me!”

We are all going to have students in our classrooms that are struggling readers. If we don't teach our students how to read our content, or provide them with accessible texts how can we expect them to read to learn.  I believe there is no difference in teaching children to read, and reading to learn, they both go hand-in-hand and cannot have one without the other. 

At the end of each chapter Tovani includes a list titled “what works”. I believe that this summary of each chapter is important to my classmates so I will include them at the end of each blog.

What works: ChrisTovani  “Do I Really Have to Teach Reading?” page 49

What works:

1. Provide a choice of reading material. Don't limit students’ ability to think about your content because the textbook is too large. Collect assessable text related to your field.

Teaching points: good readers know that background knowledge improves comprehension. If they have limited knowledge about a topic, they find reasons to build their background knowledge. This enables them to read more difficult text.

2. Demonstrate how your content connects to the real world. Current events-whether local or international-can almost always be applied to concepts being taught in the classroom.

Teaching points: good readers use information from a variety of sources to connect to daily events that affect their lives. They blur boundaries between information sources and look for patterns.

3. Give students opportunities to read provocative text. If it is boring you, it will be boring to them.

Teaching point: good readers know when to abandon a text. They will not read text that has no information or use in their daily lives.

4. Don't expect the textbooks to do your job. You are the expert on the content. Use the reading material, including the textbook, to go beyond the learning in the classroom.

Teaching point: good readers apprentice themselves to content experts. They rely on those who have mastered the content to demonstrate through reading, writing and talking how learning happens in the discipline.