I loved reading this post, Jen! It's such a gorgeous discussion of where strategies can lead. . . you talk about a sense of efficacy which, in the list of outcomes, I refer to in the outcomes as:
"Show confidence - the ability to discuss and contribute to other's knowledge about a concept" but I also hear the use of several other outcomes in your post. For example: "Revise knowledge - forgoing previously held knowledge/beliefs in favor of updated factual information" and "Sustain - the willingness to sustain interest and attention to the exclusion of competing or distracting interests" and "Remember - the sense of permanence that comes with deeply understanding something - the ability to use something you understand in a new situation" Generally speaking the outcomes will be invisible and inaudible and the dimensions will be visible and audible (behaviors). This isn't always (or consistently) true, but generally, we want to model the dimensions and think aloud about the outcomes when teaching them to children. Thinking aloud is going to be the better way to make thinking permanent and modeling is going to be the most effective way to "show" kids the behaviors (dimensions) associated with understanding. You definitely describe several of the dimensions including fervent learning, dwelling in ideas, struggling, and engaging in discourse. I think if I had it to do again, I might move a couple of the dimensions to the outcomes list and vice versa. . . I'm actually very excited for you, Jen! This is the kind of intellectual exercise that changes one's life forever. Thanks for sharing it with us. ellin All right, Ellin. How about this one? I am taking some very challenging coursework right now. The course is called Disciplined Inquiry 1 and involves statistical methods and methods for qualitiative and quantitative research. I started out completely intimidated by the math and by the difficulties inherent in the reading I need to do for this course. The text book is highly technical and we are reading just reams and reams of additional research but with a critical eye. We are analyzing research methodologies, critiquing researcher's interpretations and completing our own literature review where we must identify gaps in the research. I haven't worked so hard to understand something in my life, ever. I decided to pay some special attention to what it is taking me to understand. SO... yes, there are many reading/thinking strategies...rereading, making connections and two column notetaking figure heavily into my work... There has certainly been struggle as I try to undestand, dwelling in ideas, rigorous discourse with classmates and I do find myself looking for patterns. But the most interesting thing I have noticed about my process for understanding...and I am not sure whether or not it is a dimension or an outcome of understanding (I really don't think I get that distinction yet...) ...is a feeling of efficacy. I feel a sense of power that comes from my newfound knowledge. That "can do" feeling also comes from the sense that now know I can tackle and master something that is inherently difficult for me. I like reading research now and I like not skipping over the methodology and the statistical analysis which used to mean nothing to me. I like being able to see the strengths and weaknesses in a particular research study and thinking about how it fits in with the broader spectrum of research on a particular topic. I think most of all, I like being able to demonstrate for my students that yes reading strategies do work for adults too...and that learning to read continues for adults. We all get better and learn to understand more by exercising that muscle in your brain through struggling to understand challenging material. It is worth the struggle... and it feels GREAT! (Much to my own surprise!) Now I must go and read some more...my literature review for my final paper will surprise no one who has been on this list a while...Lesson study! :-) _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list Understand@literacyworkshop.org http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
