My apologies that it's a tad longer than the recommended 2-3 minutes, but I hope the extra 1.4 minutes won't dissuade too many people from watching. I'm really looking forward to reading the comments and responding! Here ya go:
I was also wary on the "Somebody Wanted..." method. I couldn't picture it being used across all texts or discussions. It seems very limiting, but I would be curious to see it in action.
I also think that the term you use in "framing" the discussion is central to the establishment and success of this type of discussion. Without some form of understanding of the why it will be hard to get to the what.
I think that the authority issue can be settled in the humanity of the questions that are posed. The teacher isn't displaced from their role as the authority in the room in the absence of knowledge on a certain question. You intrinsically are going to be the poser of the question, the initiator of the discussion, but if that is centralized on the basis that it is a question you genuinely have, then you come level to the students to work beside them and establish that trust. I think this is where getting out of our comfort zone and being ok with not knowing or being wrong will make or break these dialogues.
Turning over authority in the classroom can be hard for teachers and for the students also. Especially when the students are so diverse and the teacher wants to ensure the classroom is a safe learning place for all students. There is a very good book by Peter Johnston title Choice Words. (The details are in my blog.) I believe this book is a good place to start for helping teachers to empower students which could be the point Beer and Probst was trying to convey.
The question of authority is an interesting one and I remember thinking my teachers were the be-all and end-all of literature knowledge. It does bring to mind all the people who have talked about being colearners in the room with the students. But where do you draw the line of being completely authoritative or being completely unaware of the subject at hand? I do see the importance of allowing students to feel that their ideas and voices are important and therefore need to be heard and you need to respect the fact that you might have an expert in the room (of anything that comes up, really). But I think that it will be based on your class, some will need more scaffolding and teacher direction than others and you need to be able to determine as the teacher how to handle that. I do not think that teachers should give up all control because then what learning would be going on, but I don't think teachers should silence classes with their authority and knowledge of English. Maybe we should draw from Johnny Cash and Walk the Line.
The "Somebody Wanted But So" strategy is perplexing to me too, Jimmy. In theory it does seem like an effective strategy to help struggling readers summarize a text. I wonder if there is a way to adapt the strategy to further students' thinking about a text. Let's say, students are reading a short story. After struggling readers answer the strategy's questions for the main character, they could use the strategy for other supporting characters and even foils. I could see the "Somebody Wanted But So" to be a useful tool for character analysis. What do you guys think?
I agree that the "Somebody Wanted But So" strategy is confusing. I actually thought that they were just using the strategy for that particular short story that they were reading. I think that since it clearly does not fit every story that our students would read it must then be edited to make it appropriate to certain extraneous texts. Not to say that most stories wouldn't fit into this scaffolding...I guess most stories center around somebody wanting something and something else getting in the way, but for others it would be a definite stretch. Maybe some texts would demand a "Somebody Except Then Finally" setup.
I was also wary on the "Somebody Wanted..." method. I couldn't picture it being used across all texts or discussions. It seems very limiting, but I would be curious to see it in action.
ReplyDeleteI also think that the term you use in "framing" the discussion is central to the establishment and success of this type of discussion. Without some form of understanding of the why it will be hard to get to the what.
I think that the authority issue can be settled in the humanity of the questions that are posed. The teacher isn't displaced from their role as the authority in the room in the absence of knowledge on a certain question. You intrinsically are going to be the poser of the question, the initiator of the discussion, but if that is centralized on the basis that it is a question you genuinely have, then you come level to the students to work beside them and establish that trust. I think this is where getting out of our comfort zone and being ok with not knowing or being wrong will make or break these dialogues.
Turning over authority in the classroom can be hard for teachers and for the students also. Especially when the students are so diverse and the teacher wants to ensure the classroom is a safe learning place for all students. There is a very good book by Peter Johnston title Choice Words. (The details are in my blog.) I believe this book is a good place to start for helping teachers to empower students which could be the point Beer and Probst was trying to convey.
ReplyDeleteYes! Such an important, important book!
Deletehttp://www.stenhouse.com/html/choice-words.htm
The question of authority is an interesting one and I remember thinking my teachers were the be-all and end-all of literature knowledge. It does bring to mind all the people who have talked about being colearners in the room with the students. But where do you draw the line of being completely authoritative or being completely unaware of the subject at hand? I do see the importance of allowing students to feel that their ideas and voices are important and therefore need to be heard and you need to respect the fact that you might have an expert in the room (of anything that comes up, really). But I think that it will be based on your class, some will need more scaffolding and teacher direction than others and you need to be able to determine as the teacher how to handle that. I do not think that teachers should give up all control because then what learning would be going on, but I don't think teachers should silence classes with their authority and knowledge of English. Maybe we should draw from Johnny Cash and Walk the Line.
ReplyDeleteThe "Somebody Wanted But So" strategy is perplexing to me too, Jimmy. In theory it does seem like an effective strategy to help struggling readers summarize a text. I wonder if there is a way to adapt the strategy to further students' thinking about a text.
ReplyDeleteLet's say, students are reading a short story. After struggling readers answer the strategy's questions for the main character, they could use the strategy for other supporting characters and even foils. I could see the "Somebody Wanted But So" to be a useful tool for character analysis. What do you guys think?
I agree that the "Somebody Wanted But So" strategy is confusing. I actually thought that they were just using the strategy for that particular short story that they were reading. I think that since it clearly does not fit every story that our students would read it must then be edited to make it appropriate to certain extraneous texts. Not to say that most stories wouldn't fit into this scaffolding...I guess most stories center around somebody wanting something and something else getting in the way, but for others it would be a definite stretch. Maybe some texts would demand a "Somebody Except Then Finally" setup.
ReplyDeleteWho knew google could be so helpful?! (insert interoblast there!)
ReplyDeletehttps://wvde.state.wv.us/strategybank/Somebody-Wanted-But-So.html