Robert Probst - "Tom Sawyer, Teaching, and Talking"
from Adolescent Literacy
Robert Probst - Response & Analysis: Teaching Literature
in Secondary School
Mary Styslinger and Timothy Pollock - "The Chicken and the
Egg: Inviting Response and Talk through Socratic Circles"
Mary Styslinger and Jessica
Overstreet - "Strengthening Argumentative Writing with Speaking and
Listening (Socratic) Circles"
Talk to Text: Fostering the Connection between Discussion and
Writing
The group of readings are surrounded around talking around
literature—moreso creating an environment in which we are able to engage in Socratic
seminars and how to also get students to not only transact with the text
through dialogue, but also how to get our students into writing more. “Socratic
circles change the way individuals read, think, discuss, write, and act; they
have the power to change a student’s perspective on living, learning, and
behaving” (Copeland 4). Now, Davontae 2 years ago would have said that this
statement is a reach, but after reading multiple perspectives and seeing how
well it fits into what “good teaching” looks like—I wholeheartedly agree.
I am reminded of the EDRD 600 immediately. Why? According to
Gallagher, “Because the powers outside the classroom walls are so strong in
tearing down young readers, what goes on inside the classroom is of paramount importance.
Today, more than ever, valuable classroom time presents the best opportunity—on
the the only opportunity—to turn kids on to reading. Unfortunately, this isn’t occurring”
(2). I immediately thought of the Gallagher piece because over the summer we
spent so much time trying to find out why are our students not reading—why are
they not able to make meaning and engage with the text the way we as teachers
do? I believe that one of the reasons this happens is due to the fact that we
are not requiring our students to think in an abstract way and allow them the
opportunity to have these meaningful discussions. So often we feel that we need
to teach students formulaic approaches to how to read, write, blah blah—but,
when we stop to look inside our own classrooms, we aren’t using the resources
and best practice techniques to engage students. Socratic circles are the way in.
So often, and I can admit I fell guilty of this once, we as
teachers believe that one way that we can show that students are engaging with
the text is by giving them an essay to write! “Use specific quotes from the text and explain it so I know you are able
to make meaning!”. This is not what we should be doing in the classroom. What
I liked most about the reading this week is the fact that we are given a lot of
information on how to use Socratic circles to engage in that writing discourse
we expect in our classroom. Styslinger and Polluck state that one of the tricks
when it comes to strengthening students writing is through their talking! Engaging
in the Socratic circles in a way that it allows students to state their views
(in a respectable manner) not only teaches them how to be effective speakers,
but it teaches arguments for students. I wasn’t able to see the bridge in how the
actual Socratic circle could lead to better writing—until we had the Socratic
circle in our own class. Reading the text and then being asked to respond to a
host of questions prior to the discussion allowed me to the opportunity to strengthen
my stance on the piece. I could then take my argument and present them in a
discussion with peers. In Styslinger’s article however, I believe she more so
focuses on how to teach students that in Socratic circles there are rules and protocol
to the process and not necessarily focusing on how to effectively use textual
evidence to support student’s claims in the discussion. However, (no pun
intended) isn’t this the chicken or the egg again? Do we teach how to respectfully
engage in conversation or do we teach how to make good arguments? I am curious
to try this in my own classroom however. I would want to see how my own
students respond. I believe that one of the central problems we see in the
classroom is the fact that not enough of this is being done at all. Sure the
new state standards are practically pleading to use techniques such as Socratic
circles—but why aren’t they being done? Do we place too much value on writing
skills instead of oral communication? How do we expect our students to be able
to communicate between each other when they can’t because we don’t teach how?
Again—engagement with the text is more effective when we see it in writing…that
to me is bogus (yet I see it all the time).
What I most like is how Probst gives us a fantastic way to
have a win win for both! Teach discussion and writing as one. Workshop is a
tool that we as college students use all the time. We peer review each others
writing, and then have a conversation about our own writing. Not only is this
an effective way to boost the two, but it allows us to interconnect oral and
writing skills amongst our students. Now, I will be the first to admit that my concern
is how do I grade something like this? Do I grade based on discussion? Or the
writing? The editing? I believe that when we take out the worrying about
grading and just allow the students to engage more—we will then see that they
are putting more into their own work—no longer will students write to appease me;
they will write to be more critical.
I had this happen. I wanted my students to write and forget
about being graded. Write because you have something to say. I then had then
converse with each other. Tell each other how their writing sounds, connects,
and analyzes. I told my students that they would be graded 80% based on their conversations—20%
based on their writing (10% would be their initial draft, 10% based on their
final draft). Call me crazy, but when I had my students moving around in
circles to share their papers and ask for feedback, the comments were amazing!
They knew that they needed to pay attention to communicating between their own
peers—the stigma was gone that their writing would hold the most weight on
their grades. This is what I want to see done in my own classroom. I want my
students to write because they want to be critical—and I want to foster a sense
of community based on good conversation (positives and improvement suggestions).
This is what I think these articles are trying to do. Teach us that we can
connect writing and discussions. Styslinger and Overstreet did it—and it wasn’t
done to the level that you had to choose to spend more time on one or the
other.
My do for this is the lesson plan I used
at my middle school. See below.
Davontae Singleton
Wump World Lesson Plan
Subject: English—6th grade
Total Class Time: 56 minutes
Topic: Writing with Purpose
Objectives and (standards):
1.
SWBAT 6.W.2 Write informative/
explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and
information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant
content.
2.
SWBAT 6.RL.3 Describe how a
particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as
how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
Purpose:
In this lesson,
students will be exposed to taking their story-map that they have created in
class and using that as a template to create and write an exploratory essay
based on the book “Wump World”. Student’s will be asked to not only create the
basic outline of an essay, but they will be asked to make a personal connection
in their essay as well that connects the text with an experience or other work
of literature. Students will work on this so that they are able to write more
clearly and effectively.
Procedures: (Please note that these
procedures are to be done once for each student)
Introduction:
Warm-up: Why do
we write? Write down 3 ideas on why you think it is important for us to write
as 6th graders, and then 2 ideas on why we write as adults? We will
have a conversation to “dispel” any myths about writing and to break down the
stigma that writing is difficult or tedious. (5 Minutes)
Development: This development phase will
take the place as a workshop format. We will all work together, yet
independently—sharing our ideas as we are going forth.
1.
Introduction—I
would like to start the development of this essay as we are thinking about our
personal statements to the book. What about the book would we like to lead in
on? We can discuss how the book is an allegory or how the “wumps” are described
as in the story. Students will be expected to work on a way to effectively
introduce their paper and lead in with a good “hook”. After we have worked on
our introductions, we will share some and give effective feedback. (10 minutes)
2.
Exposition,
Main events, climax, and resolution—students will have their story map as well
as their “introduction” paragraph from Monday’s class to use as they create the
next 3 parts of their paper. This will be done independently as students
already have the tools and information to write this part of their essay. (10
minutes)
3.
Final
Reflection—This will give students the opportunity to make personal connections
to the story. They will be given a number of prompts to help them end their
paper. (What books/movies did this book make you think of? What advice would
you have given the wumps or the pollutions? What would you have done
differently if you were the wumps or the pollutions? What can we do so our
world does not become like the wump’s world? What laws can we enforce to make
sure these new rules are enforced?) As students are working on this part of
their paper, we will again run it like a workshop, except this time they will
share their endings with a partner. Students will be given a rubric and they
will assess each others ending paragraph to ensure that it targets a specific
connection from the book, but also explains why they chose to write about that
connection. The point in this is to foster critical thinking in both their
writing and conversations so that students are able to take both seriously and
see the gift in oral conferencing with peers. As students are conferencing with
each other, I will be going around to informally assess students work to check
to see if they have the basic structure of a 5 paragraph paper as well as
performing a very informal analysis on their writing. (25 minutes)
Conclusion: (6 min)
Students will complete a ticket to
leave. They will be asked to complete 2 questions: What did you find
challenging about today’s activities? What is one area you would like more
practice with?
After students
have finished this, I will share my writing that I have come up with for
students.
Materials:
Wump
World by: Bill Pete
Students will all need their
computers
Students will all need their
story-maps
Evaluation:
After meeting with students for the day, they will be assessed
based on their completing the writing activity. I will also perform informal
assessments of their writing while monitoring student work during silent work
as well as group work. Participation grades will be given to students who are
always on task and complete assignments.
Students will be graded the following
way: (80% based on conversation, 20% based on writing—half for initial and half
for final drafts.
Reference:
Appleman, Deborah, and Michael F. Graves.
Reading Better, Reading Smarter: Designing Literature Lessons for Adolescents.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2012. Print.
