Group items tagged

Maybe we believe that kids need to read the whole book to understand the main ideas in our subject.

They need you, the teacher, to break the work into steps and stages, and to give them tools and activities and work habits that help.

Like the social studies teachers at Stagg High School, you could try to identify the 12 or 16 absolutely key, “fencepost” concepts in every course you teach. You might agree in principle that kids would do better to understand a dozen key ideas deeply, that to hear 1,000 ideas mentioned in passing. But what are the right fenceposts for your subject, your course?

beyond the classroom

So you have to prioritize; you have to decide to teach a few things well and fully- let some other stuff slide.

have to decide to teach a few things well and fully- let some other stuff slide.

Whatever our subject, we may believe that “the state requires us” to cover everything in the textbook, however thinly

This newer kind of test tries to determine not just whether students retain factual information, but whether, given an authentic problem, they can reason effectively.

In fact, the 50 states differ widely in the sort of high-stakes tests they actually administer.

But what are the right fenceposts for your subject, your course?

Sounds plausible, given the current fervor of politicians to supervise us, but we’d better be sure it is the reality

So you have to prioritize; you have to decide to teach a few things well and fully- let some other stuff slide.

Don’t leave kids alone with their textbooks We can harness the social power of collaboration, having kids work in pairs, groups, and teams at all stages of reading to discuss, debate, and sort-out ideas in the book.

Don’t leave kids alone with their textbooks

to remember ideas, learners must act upon them. Period. You can have students move their noses above any number of pages, left to right, top to bottom, but that is neither teaching nor learning.

What’s Really on the State Test?

roe of textbooks

only a fraction (17% in mathematics for example) understand a field well enough to do higher-level operations or performances. (2000).

Sure, we can make students read daily sections of the textbook as a matter of compliance and obedience.

NAEP tells us

cussedness

the content of any subject field has different levels of importance. There are some anchor ideas we ant students to understand in a deep and enduring way, others that are important to know about, and finally, some aspects where a passing familiarity is sufficient.

1.Does the idea, topic, or process represent a big idea having enduring value beyond the classroom? 2.Does the big idea, topic, or process reside at the heart of the discipline? 3.To what extent does the idea, topic or process require uncoverage? 4.To what extent does the idea, topic, or process have the potential for engaging students?

the reform movements between1820-1850. There are four distinct strands which emerged during this period- religious renewal, abolitionism, the early women’s rights efforts, and workplace reform- each of which receives several pages of coverage in the textbook

making sure your kids can think like a scientist, a mathematician, a historian, or a writer.

Many books couldn’t be studied this way because information in earlier chapters is crucial for understanding later ones. But textbooks frequently can be easily subdivided.

Have empathy. Remember, not only are you a grownup and a subject matter expert, you have also read this textbook five or 10 times before. The material may seem easy to you, but it may really be Greek to the kids.

Jigsawing

giving students support before and during reading

Make more selective assignments

Greek to the kids

Choose wisely. Make more selective assignments

more are using constructed responses, items that present some data (a chart, article, or problem) and then ask students to work with it. This newer kind of test tries to determine not just whether students retain factual information, but whether, given an authentic problem, they can reason effectively.

With jigsawing activities, when kids sit down to find the links between movements like abolitionism and worker’s rights, they are coming pretty close to “doing history,” not just dutifully accepting what the textbook says.

assigning fewer pages

focus on making sure your kids can think like a scientist, a mathematician, a historian, or a writer.

websites

Have empathy.

The material may seem easy to you, but it may really be Greek to the kids.

similarities

laboring under tough requirements to “cover” material, having

ACCESS: Textbook Feature Analysis Directions: Use this activity to better understand the textbook in this class. Its purpose is to teach you how the textbook works by showing you what it is made of and how these elements are organized.

Chapter 8 in MacDougal-Little’s The Americans covers the reform movements between1820-1850. There are four distinct strands which emerged during this period- religious renewal, abolitionism, the early women’s rights efforts, and workplace reform

she did want them to sample Dickens’ voice and pick up some cultural background from the era.

under tough requirements to “cover” material

Tom’s Cabin, that connects the movements of the period in a vivid, powerful way.

Or for teachers who worry, sincerely, whether hearing an oral summary from other students is as good as reading an expert’s version in print.

Jigsawing

leapfrogging” jigsaw groups

having every student read every page in the textbook may not be the only alternative

Are kids actually working, thinking, and engaged with the text we assign- or are they just imitating a sentient life form while remaining functionally unconscious?

But textbooks frequently can be easily subdivided

is covering material the same as understanding it?

the language was just too hard for her kids to plow through.

But textbooks frequently can be easily subdivided.

Are kids actually working, thinking, and engaged with the text we assign- or are they just imitating a sentient life form while remaining functionally unconscious?

Or for teachers who worry, sincerely, whether hearing an oral summary from other students is as good as reading an expert’s version in print

Textbook Jigsaw Sheet

Textbook Jigsaw Sheet

whether hearing an oral summary from other students is as good as reading an expert’s version in print.

The Guide-O-Rama

it is much harder to “fake it”

imitating a sentient life form

The parents think the textbook is the subject,

activate their prior knowledge

The Guide-O-Rama lets you informally coach, support, and chat with kids as you steer them along.

the author is there to answer questions and talk to the students.”

when you have to read, write, talk, and listen, it is much harder to “fake it” than it is to slide through a textbook assignment without understanding.  

“What’s on the Prairie State exam.”

real-life examples

No Secrets Education