Here’s my first post. You should probably check out my Why I Reflect page. I gave a few reasons for wanting to do this blog. Reflecting is something I have read that Bill Gates and others make part of their daily routine. They take time to sit in a quiet place and just reflect without distractions. You also hear out of struggle comes great things, even beautiful things. I would add reflection to that statement. You keep struggling if you don’t reflect and make the right changes. When it comes to education is struggle a good thing? Must students struggle before they succeed. I think yes and no is the answer. It depends on many factors and upon what they are learning. Each student is different. The struggle must be productive and reflection must be part of the process. Perseverance must be taught also. In what area of education is struggle most productive? How do you scaffold your instruction if you want to see some struggle?
I ask about student struggle because I have been reading Dynamic Teaching for Deeper Reading: A Shift to a Problem-Based Approach by Vicki Vinton. She answers some of my questions above in terms of comprehension instruction. I have loved reading this book, and agree with a great deal in it, but not all of it. Vinton discusses how she feels students need to struggle a little without a lot of scaffolding when practicing thinking through a text. Students need to experience the internal thinking of reading, forming opinions as they read to make meaning without teachers giving them to much.
As I reflect I know I need to let the kids show me the best way they learn. I agree we cannot always scaffold the difficult thinking for them, just to say they are reading challenging text. Students have to learn that as we read a text, we have to constantly reevaluated our thinking. Our thinking will evolve from the beginning to end as we read. We have to reflect on what we read. So maybe struggle is not the right word, to use here. Anyway this is a must read the book for exploring comprehension instruction. It is about helping students read for meaning using a problem based approach. I am exploring this book further leading a book study on it, in my district. I look forward to learning and growing with other teachers as we dig through it.
I caution however going overboard with implementing her ideas or anyones. Reflect on what your students need right now. You have to decide when your students will be ready for this approach, or need it. There is no one way to teach something. Though there are more efficient ways to teach something or solve a problem. I think that is key to keep in mind. I believe you have to give students what they need, when they need it, and no program or curriculum can do that alone, it takes teachers making informed decisions after assessment & reflection. That being said, you have to know your curriculum, and the programs that best compliment it. When it comes to teaching reading that includes readers workshop and guided reading when the kids them. I will probably talk a lot about how I feel these 2 big ideas for teaching reading should implemented in this blog, and I hope those views will continue to grow and evolve as I go. I also hope some things stick however, things I know work, for some kids at particular times. I hope someone choses to reflect with me as I go.
Troy
Reflect 