Hi Joy, Beverlee, etc.
I got some of my ideas about developing inquiry yes from Harste,
Burke and
Barbara Flores and others from that wonderful connected group of
educators
many of whom are directly connected to the Goodmans and each
other(thinking
here there were some great articles in the Whole Language
Catalog)...But I
also got ideas from Coalition of Essential Schools and maybe they
were
influenced also by the above. Whatever, a useful way to think about
themes....especially those that lead to an inquiry stance is to ask
"essential questions." Find the overarching question (or several
interrelated questions) that is rich and authentic, keeping in mind
the
interests and developmental levels of your children and yes,
sometimes,
even
the expected "curriculum" at your grade level. In other words you
gain
little by working against the science or social studies focus of
your grade
level per your particular state. (Some would differ with me here
and its
not like sometimes I didn't ignore that as well)
It would sometimes take me weeks to figure out what the big
question was,
one that would include the concepts and strategies and knowledge
that I
wanted to cover. Phrasing it as a question I think automatically
turns it
to a sentence rather than a simple topic. Even if you start with a
topic,
if you turn into a question it pushes you on that inquiry journey
and to
deeper thinking about the topic. For example, your students would
like to
study horses. Ask why do horses play such a central role in the
life of
some Native American nations? Remember our Mosaic work and how
learning to
ask good questions is more important than giving right answers??
Next I think through the concepts(deeper understandings) I expect
children
to learn through this inquiry. Then I figure out the critical
knowledge
that they'll work with. Yes, knowing "some" stuff, some facts is
important.
But this forces me to narrow this down to pivotal knowledge, not just
collections of facts, dates etc. that could be tested on a multiple
choice
test!
Then I think through the skills and strategies they'll use to
accomplish
their inquiry - group and individual.
Then and possibly throughout I consider the underlying values and
assumptions underlying my plan and consider how they might emerge
in the
children's work. I always ask myself the social justice, fairness
kind of
questions here. How will different perspectives be privileged in
this
work?
How will I respect the diverse children in my class and so on?
Then I figure out how I will assess how we are accomplishing,
whether we
did
accomplish (formative and summative assessment) and I run that back
through
All of the above to add, delete, refine etc.
Then I begin work on resources and particular ways to begin the
unit and so
on. In some ways, this last step is where I used to start my
planning.
But
doing all the other thinking above results in much better teaching
and
learning I think. It is open to emerging understandings and
information
because I start with the stance that the question is a real one for
me, not
just the children.
Gosh, sorry if I've gone on to long. It just always help to think
through
what we're doing and I love it that the whole question
of themes has emerged here.
Sally
On 6/19/09 3:50 AM, "Joy" <jwidm...@rocketmail.com> wrote:
Beverlee,
If there is a group that can help me push my thinking, this is it.
I'm
pondering your suggestion that sentences are needed to describe
themes.
That
is an interesting idea. Does the sentence narrow the concept, or
does it
broaden it?
I wonder if I struggle with this because our standards are given
to us in
bits
or because I am not thinking globally? I always thought I was a big
picture
kind of person, maybe I'm mistaken. I can see how things tie
together,
and
have developed projects that are integrated, but struggle with the
label.
Joy/NC/4
How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and
content go
hand in hand. http://www.responsiveclassroom.org
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