Step Inside: Reading Like a Reader

Student's annotations 

I find the skill of annotating a difficult skill to teach. Maybe it’s because I don’t remember ever being taught to annotate as a student, or perhaps it’s because there are so many different approaches to teaching annotating. If you do a web search on “Annotating a text,” you’ll get hundreds of results with different checklists and coding systems. However, there is one common thought across the board: readers annotate to show their thinking and to dig deeper into the text.  

As stated in my previous blog post (linked here), I took a couple of weeks to teach how to annotate explicitly and the purpose behind the practice. We practiced thinking aloud before we made our marks on the page. I found that this helped them to see that they were having thoughts while reading. After doing this with a couple of readings, I introduced our annotation marks two at a time. Per Peha’s research, I introduced: predicting, questioning, inferring, feeling, connecting, and evaluating. My students had a straightforward understanding of how to predict, question, feel, and connect to their reading. But when it comes to inferring and evaluating they have a difficult time noticing this in their thinking.

Below are Peha’s definitions of inferring and evaluating: 

Infer. Readers figure out things about what they read that aren’t actually written in the text. There’s almost always more to a story than just the words on the page. Often, writers leave “clues” that good readers can use to discover important information.

Evaluate. Readers make judgments while they read. Is this good? If so, what’s good about it? Do I like it? Why? Should I keep reading or should I put this down and get something else? Readers are finicky, impatient, judgmental. The evaluations they make help them decide whether or not what they are reading is valuable and, if so, how they might use it.

After reading with my students and questioning them to check for understanding, I could tell that they are capable of making inferences and evaluating the text. The challenge was getting them to notice when they were doing this thinking while reading. 

At this time, I turned to my FAVORITE professional development book- “Making Thinking Visible.” There are over 25 routines in this book, and every time I introduce a new one, it becomes my new favorite. My new favorite is the routine: Step Inside. This routine is perfect for getting my students to read like a reader, infer, and evaluate. As explained on the Visible Thinking website, “This routine helps students to explore different perspectives and viewpoints as they try to imagine things, events, problems, or issues differently. In some cases, this can lead to a more creative understanding of what is being studied.” During this routine, students are asked to step inside another mindset and answer four guiding questions.

Here is how I introduced “Step Inside” to my students:

1. For the first time exploring this routine, I decided to use the class novel that we had just finished, “A Long Walk to Water.” As suggested in the “Making Thinking Visible,” I use the questions to “Step Inside” in a whole group setting to explore the main character’s (Salva) life. We used the novel so we could refer back to the text and use textual evidence to support our inferences and evaluations. 
2. Next, I had my students work in their homogeneous groups and gave them a secret character from the novel. Differentiation trick- I strategically gave my highest group a character that had little evidence to refer back to, so they had to collaborate and discuss more than the other groups to complete this thinking. Similarity, I have my ELs grouped together and gave them another main character, so they had a bunch of text evidence to support their thinking. *Note- I have students groups in 4 different ways. I change the groups students work with depending on the task. 
3. Students worked for 15-20 minutes to answer the four questions together. They had to use text evidence, infer, evaluate, and defend their thinking. And the best part was they did all of this with a level 1 voice because they didn’t want the other groups to hear their secret character (haha). 
4. When they completed the guiding questions, they created a modified “I Am Poem” as the character. Their goal was to give clear enough clues so that the rest of the class could guess who their character was. 
5. One spokesperson from each group shared their “I Am Poem,” and the rest of the class guessed who their character. During this time, students were using their knowledge of the text, inferring, and evaluating answers and information. Of course, I made sure to point that out and ruin the fun.

The thing I love about this routine the most is that it can be modified for so many different activities and contents. For example, I’m using it next week in social studies when we study the development of complex cultures with early humans. I’ll be using a picture from the My World textbook, and instead of giving the students a secret character, they will all look through the lens of an archaeologist. Depth and complexity while reading like a reader! 

Follow along to see how our reading and writing transforms, 

Jenni Merry

Got S - t - r - e - t - c - h Text? (PART 2)

Thank you for returning to my 3-part blog regarding stretch text.  Last month, I introduced this idea of what stretch text means in the classroom.  I highlighted some frequently asked questions and this month I want to continue sharing some of these insights and questions with you!

FAQ's:

Why stretch text?  http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_A.pdf  Read pages 1 - 11

What essential questions can I use during stretch text lessons?  The one essential question that I use during ALL stretch text lessons: “What makes this text difficult?”  This simple yet powerful essential question is what I want my students to think about throughout the lesson.  By “deconstructing” the text, my students can dissect, explore, investigate, and “reassemble” the text like a puzzle.  If they can succeed with stretch text, they will certainly succeed with grade level text. Ultimately, I want my students to think about their thinking.

Where do I find stretch text?  NOT on Teachers Pay Teachers!  Instead, I have found that famous speeches or Ted Talks are ideal to use as stretch text (they are also free).  Try to select speeches that are relevant, engaging, and meaningful or that tie into Wonders anthologies in some manner.  For example, in fourth grade Wonders unit 4, week 3 includes the anthology selection The Moon Over Star.  This historic fiction selection focuses on the night of the moon landing.  You could tie the famous Moon Speech by JFK to this particular selection (which I actually have done).  Another example in fourth grade Wonders is unit 4, week 1 leveled reader “A Day in the Senate.” Last year, we deconstructed part of the Constitution using it as a stretch text in order to extend the understanding of the leveled reader.  The possibilities are endless. I try to make sure that my students understand that my selected stretch text is either part of an article, document or a transcript of a speech. This is why I try to avoid TPT worksheets or TPT articles. It is no secret that Common Core has made the understanding of technical texts a cornerstone of these new standards.  Stretch text lessons allow the teacher to at least begin to encourage and build self-efficacy within students in order to challenge them to continue “reaching and stretching” their reading abilities. My "look for" when I am searching text is mainly vocabulary. Does the text include a fair amount of academic vocabulary for students to grapple with? Be careful though! Too much may become too frustrating.

Note:  If you find a video on youtube, it usually offers the option to view the transcript.  Copy and paste the transcript onto your desktop in order to print the text for students.

How long do stretch text lessons take?  If you decide to do stretch text lessons during a 30-minute time block of UA, you can expect to take approximately three to five days to grapple with the passage.  It really depends on how deep you want students to go into the text. It is up to you and your learning outcomes.

Are there any resources that I can use?  Yes, I have included below some links that you can view at your leisure to see some examples of stretch text lessons.  Be warned, you will not find much resources by googling “stretch text.” You will usually find resources about accessing complex text (which may in itself be helpful as well):

1.  READ pages 1 - 11 in Appendix A of the common core initiative document (yes, I know it may be a struggle but, hey, if you want your students to do this, then we need to do this as well):

http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_A.pdf

2.  Teaching Channel videos:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/video/teaching-declaration-of-independence

Happy Writing!
             Gustavo Macuil

Questioning + Google Classroom = One Good Idea

Questioning + Google Classroom = One Good Idea
“Class, who was the main character in this story?” “Class, can you identify the character’s problem?” “Class, why does Gary like recess?”...  Does asking questions like these from our TEs sound like you?  Are the teachers doing all the asking and our students doing all the answering?   Well keep on reading and learn how to mix it up and turn the “asking AND answering” over to our students.
Want to provide an engaging way to get students to ask and answer questions? Google Classroom is the way to do it! Students can ask and answer questions from their peers with instant real-time replies.
	Asking and answering questions can be dry, difficult to do, and not always engaging.  As we know comprehension is very important for student understanding and growth.  We consistently need to provide opportunities for students to improve their thinking and responding skills.
“The marvelous thing about a good question is that it shapes our identity as much by the asking as it does by the answering.” – David Whyte
Create an ‘asking and answering’ assignment using Google Classroom.
	After you and your class read your text, tell students to think of a question they can ask in order to “test” their classmates.  They have to know the answer to that question so that they can go back and correct their peer’s response.  Have students type their question into the “Google Classroom assignment” (video tutorial here). Once all students have typed in their question, assign students to a partner so they know whose question they should respond to.   Just like that you have turned an asking and answering comprehension strategy from McGraw-Hill Wonders into an online assignment that can now be shared and commented on through the use of Google Classroom.     How can you differentiate?… Provide students with question stems.  Require different levels of questions.  Require some students to type more than one question.  Partner up like-students when responding.  Not 1 to 1 with computers?  Do this assignment in shifts; while half the students are entering their questions the other half can work on other assignments, and then switch.  Complete this activity in small groups.  Provide this assignment for your ‘challenge’ group.   Here is a link to see an example of two third grade students’ asking and answering.….Now, happy questioning! :)                             Tech-ing with a purpose,   Tiffani Bossieux

Tech, Depth, and Teach...OH MY!

Tech, Depth, and Teach...OH MY!
Oh, those modern 21st-century learners…tech-savvy, touch screen  needy, don’t know what life is like without it type of learners.   Is the end really near? We are now living in a day and age where these “digital natives” sit in our classrooms and can very well teach us a thing or two about how to navigate the world of technology.  And though they may be experts at  the social media/personal-use side of technology, it is now time we make them the experts at using it to enhance their education.
Here you will gain insight on how to connect technology into your curriculum while also pushing for higher level production.
	Technology can be intimidating, hard to balance, or a tool that can easily be underused or overused in our classrooms. Incorporated correctly our students will benefit immensely towards articulation, knowledge, and critical thinking skills.
“Technology will not replace great teachers but technology in the hands of great teachers can be transformational.” ---George Couros
My mission is to provide lessons, ideas, strategies, and ways to incorporate technology into your classroom.
	A great way to start is to become familiar with the SAMR Model (click to learn about it in 120 seconds).  “S=Substitution, A=Augmentation, M=Modification, R= Redefinition.”  This is what is going to help you understand the “what” and “how” to achieve higher level production.   Each month I will share what I have been doing in my third-grade classroom.  My emphasis will be combining technology with language arts.  As you follow my posts please feel free to email me with questions or to set up a time to visit, should you ever want to see it in action.  I leave you now with a little advance sneak peek at next month's post… dun... dun… dun… Google Classroom.                            The techy teacher, Tiffani Bossieux