Karen Pedersen: Critical reading for critical writing to show deep understanding.

[Karen Pedersen]

Hello Everyone, again:

 

After much reflection and reviewing the data I work with every day in my job, I have finally decided on an inquiry question:   "What critical reading strategies can I embedd across the curriculm to build critical writers?" 

 

This question comes from observations and discussions throughout all three schools in Yerington and across Lyon County.  Many teachers struggle with figuring out ways to get their students to respond to expository text demonstrating deep understanding of the content in addition to forming their own opinions, views, or conclusions.   As mentioned in my original entry, I have also observed 5th grade students who have spent an entire year on a "We the People" unit who were unable to show understanding and learning as evidenced by their inability answer pretty basic questions presented by "judges" of local community members during the hearing.  These students did plenty of reading and writing, but didn't understand the content.

 I myself have been out of the classroom for the past three years, so need to really understand which strategies will work best for my students when I enter my new 5th grade class next year.   Further,  with the new common core state standards coming down the pipe, students will be expected to think more critically, support their views, opinions, or understanding more in depth, and synthesize information from several sources to work in the DOK 4.  So, after much pondering I have come up with a data collection method across 4 different grades:  4th, 5th, 7th, and 11th.  I have contacted teachers to ask if I can "borrow" their classess, and will honor their objectives during the "writing experiement".

 

I have very specific reasons for selecting 4 different grades which will be revealed during my inquiry demonstration scheduled for June 21, 2010. (YIKES!) 

 

Thanks for reading my second entry!

 

Sincerely,

Karen Pedersen

[Allie Eckert]

Karen-
I think that this is an absolutely excellent idea. I too feel that many of my students are deficient when it comes to critical thinking. Many times, I have the impression that students understand what I am teaching, and can express their thoughts verbally, however when asked to write down their understanding, there is a disconnect. I am incredibly interested to see the way in which you will help to guide the students down the path of success.

One of the teachers at my first school explained to me that when teaching you need to look not at what you taught, but what the students learned. I feel that this is the basic building block in which this question is written upon. Students need to gain an authentic sense of understanding in terms of the importance of critical thinking. My belief is that the ability to think critically will not only help students to be successful in school, pass their classes and state tests, but it will also help them to be productive members of society. I don't know about you, but my main goal is to teach the students to be strong community members, and good people. I truly feel that the ability to think critically will help us reach that level with our students. If a student can think critically, they will be able to respond to answers about the government while at the same time solve problems with their peers. Its a win, win situation! If only all teachers were "teaching" and all students were "learning" how to think critically, our world would be a much better place!

Such an excellent topic to explore! I am excited to see what you have... and even more excited to use what you teach! Thanks for sharing!

Allie Eckert

[Jennifer Reynolds]

Karen-

I like that your essential question has tied reading and writing together. I have noticed many of the same things that you described with students inability to create opinions based on text. I think a lot of this disconnect has to do with students inability to relate text to self, world, and text. I noticed last year in the Read 180 curriculum that the skill building activities relied heavily on predictions and word recognition, but there was not a lot of comparisons asked of students. Keep in mind that the students enrolled in this program in our school are very low functioning readers. I don't see how a student can write critically about a reading when they lack comparison building skills. In order to form an opinion you must be able to relate events to other events.

Good luck,
Jenny Reynolds

[Julianne Dillard]

Hi, Karen! I think using that example of that seemingly failed 5th grade unit makes this question that much more important/interesting. I want to make sure I get the question--Do you hope to find strategies to use for teaching critical reading skills that students can then transfer over to use in their own writing? The data collection sounds great--I'm jealous! Best of luck in your quest! Julie