Sage Rebuehr
Reading Reflection #1
Engaging Readers and Writers with Inquiry by Jeffrey Wilhelm
Chapter 1 & 2, pgs. 7-40
The first chapters left me with more questions than answers. Questions that I hope will be answered as I continue my reading.
Wilhelm begins by defining inquiry learning. He puts in somewhere in the middle of a teacher-centered, lecture-driven classroom and a student-centered, go-with-the-flow classroom. I like this definition. As a person who likes structures, it made it seem doable to me. In his inquiry model instead of students reading Romeo and Juliet, they spend time answering the question “What makes a good relationship?”. They will read Romeo and Juliet while answering this question along with lots of other texts as well. It is the purpose that shifts: they aren’t reading R&J just to read it, they are reading it to help them answer a questions.
Students play an active role in the classroom and learning through lots of discussion and debate. The importance of classroom discussion what made evident after reading transcripts from four very different classroom discussions. Most teachers were able to identify which discussion was the best and yet lots of teachers aren’t doing this in their classroom. This reinforced my desire to create more time for students talk in my classroom and to model how to participate in a discussion
As I read these chapters, I found myself rereading lots of the information. Some of the information I found confusing (like terminology used); but I am thinking that most of these ideas will be explained in more detail as I continue the reading. I am interested to learn more about creating these units particularly what happens in the middle part. How do you go from introducing the question to the final project?
I love the idea about reading something in order to answer find an answer to a question. Not just any question but a question that has relevancy to the students themselves. I can't wait to find out the answers to some of the questions you posed.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes - setting a purpose for reading! I truly believe this is the key to it all. If kiddos know what they are looking for, what they are supposed to be thinking about, or what information they are trying to collect, they always do a better job.
ReplyDeleteI love guiding questions (or is it "essential questions?") but sometimes find them hard to write. Coming up with something relevant to their lives, like "what makes a good relationship?" really enhances by-in and gets them into it. :) Love Jeff Whilhelm. Did you know he graduated from my high school in Ohio? He dedicated "Reading Don't Fix No Chevys" to an AP English teacher who was legendary in our small town. True story!
Oh, and this is Sara BTW. Probably should change bibliochica.
ReplyDeleteI actually ordered this book as well because it seems really interesting. To clarify, Wilhelm is basically saying that you should organize your units around essential questions that focus on themes in the text sets you are using, right? I actually really like this idea. Connecting it to Multimodal and the idea that we should incorporate technology into our lessons because it allows creativity, this could be a way to link these two texts by creating inquiry (or essential questions) and then using media sources such as YouTube videos to help students explore the question. Does Wilhelm discuss technology at all?
ReplyDeleteI like the whole Inquiry piece, and yet I struggle at making good essential questions and addressing them throughout the unit. I will be curious to see if the text you are reading will offer suggestions to writing thorough essential or guiding questions.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the definition of the inquiry model. It makes me think of a cross between traditional classrooms and the Montessori classroom. I am looking forward to hearing more about the implementation of this model and how to engage students in the classroom discussion when they are reluctant to particiapte.
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