Respond to the following quote from page 35:
"By asking what they already know a lot about, noticing what they respond to, and asking what they wish they knew more about, teachers invite learning on several levels."
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If I am trying to figure out how good a student can read, I want to give them something to read that they enjoy. It makes learning more fun when it's something you are interested in and know something about. Makes the student feel important and knowledgeable.
ReplyDeleteI think that when you show genuine interest in a student's thoughts that you facilitate a relationship with the student that makes learning possible. Engaging students on a social level teaches them important interaction skills that they will need for their future.
ReplyDeleteYvonne Miller Locklear said....
ReplyDeleteIf you ask a child what they already know most (maybe all) excitedly tell you EVERYTHING they can think of. They want us to know that they are coming to us with knowledge already in hand. And when you ask what they want to know well that is when they are like little sponges just ready to soak up any information a teacher or most any adult will tell them. It is kind of like when you know that there is a secret going around and you want in on it. You are eager to hear the information. I think that is the way it is for children. They do have a desire to "know" more stuff.
Yvonne
I laugh sometimes when I ask students what they know about something because the echo of "This again..." ceases to reverberate around my classroom. Hands fly up and often their mouths open at the same time. I get sidetracked because students are teaching me, and I am gaining insights into their experiences, thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Their faces are a study in true excitement as they then share with me what they wish to learn. When the room is so quiet that I can hear the in-sync breathing of my students and the growls of their stomachs as lunchtime approaches, I only have to ask them about their knowledge and desire to enliven them.
ReplyDeleteAs teachers we never really know what is going on outside the school setting. We need to go the extra mile and look for red flags and "hear what they are not saying" or read between the lines. Take for example the current case with the missing girl from Hickory. This outgoing and cheerful child survived cancer only to succumb to someone who she was supposed to trust. This just makes me sick and I would be so disappointed in myself as a teacher if I missed the red flags. We can use tragedies like this to connect to our students by having discussions about it. They can relate to 20 miles down the road because it is somewhere they have all been. It is important for them to understand they can trust us even if they can't trust the adult they live with.
ReplyDeleteAs I have seen in the past, if a student is interested in something, they are 10 times more likely to listen and get involved. Finding out their interests early and trying to include that in your lesson plans makes it easier. Some students need for you to listen to them and take them seriously, not just let it go in one ear and out the other.
ReplyDeleteWe are all different. When students are asked to share information about something that they know a lot about, they are becoming involved, possibly leading others to want to become involved. Students may not have realized that they too knew something about the topic until it was discussed. Teachers as well as students can discuss topics in a safe environment, introducing others to new things.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy all the stories that I get when I ask any question. The train of thought can go from one end to the other. I enloy getting to know my students when the share. You can also see the wide range of knowledge that our students have.
ReplyDeleteOur kids are smart about things that matter to them-they know so much more than me about computers! Sometimes I think that they listen more close when we put ourselves as students and them as the teacher.I dare say I have been taught some of my most important lessons by my students.
ReplyDeleteAsking what students are interested in enables the students to make connections between the content and their life. The learning automatically becomes more applicable to their life because they can visualize that direct connection. I am sure that we have all learned by this point that if you can make a lesson more interesting to the students, it will flow much smoother for the teacher and the students will gain more from the lesson. The quote describes student-centered learning which is the style of teaching in which efficent authentic learning takes place. This authentic learning lasts with the students throughout their lives.
ReplyDeleteStudents learn the most when they can apply what we are teaching to their lives. Anytime that you can make your lesson relevant to the students' lives, the lesson is much more effective. For example, when we are studying nutrition, I have the students do a project that is modeled around their daily food intake. This takes what we learned in class and forces them to apply it to their lives. By doing this, the students are learning the curriculum as well as life long skills.
ReplyDeleteWhen you ask students what they want to learn and what they know, then a teacher has somewhere to begin. Teachers should take what they know from their students and respect what they want to learn in such a way that no matter what skills, or subject they are teaching, they can use what their students already know to keep the students actively involved. This requires creativity on the part of the teacher, as well as actively listening from the teacher. Students say a lot by not saying anything. Finding out where a student's interests lie help teachers connect to all their students andd makes learning something that impacts lives rather than something that is just memorized.
ReplyDeleteI like doing a student survey to find out what kids know about a subject. Kids are more willing and ready to learn if the subject interestes them. Therefore, it is my job as a teacher to find a way to teach it to them in a way that interestes them.When I teach I try to let the kids have as much fun as possible without letting my class be turned into a barn dance.
ReplyDeleteAlot of times you don't have to ask what they know about, they go ahead and tell you. I remind them that we need to refresh what they know so that we can build on that knowledge. I noticed that more of my students respond better to geometry topics than algebra topics. I was the opposite when I was their age. They also respond better, for me, when I give them the chance to write on the ActivBoard.
ReplyDeleteSuzanne Goble
I love to hear the stories that my students share with me on a daily basis. They love the fact that I act interested in what is important to them. Sometimes I feel they are not heard at home and are looking for someone to share their thoughts with. As an educator I think listening is as important as teaching. We will never know the impact that a few minutes that we take to stop and listen to our students will aid in our relationship with them. If I show interest in them they are more likely to return the favor in your class.
ReplyDeleteI believe good communication between a teacher and student is a valuable tool. By listening to student stories and input, teachers can apply lessons to student interests. This will hopefully improve student learning and encourage student input as well as demonstrate to students that we care enough to listen to them.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of my career exploration class. Before we pick a job to study we must learn about ourselves(Things were good at, interests, values, and personality types) to name a few. I enjoy watching the students learn these, it gives me the chance to see all the differences that you between students in each class. You also see what each student would like to learn about and gives them the chance to explore it.
ReplyDeleteIf a student is interested in something they are doing they will spend more time on it. The key is to help the students find what interest them beyond what they already know. They need to activate their "sponge" so they soak up knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with all that has been said. Sometimes I wish we had more time to "Just go with the flow" and let them have the time to use their energy to think outside the box and go where their imagination leads them. Darn that EOG!!! I think sometimes it can stifle our ability to let our students "see where their curiosity leads them."
ReplyDeleteI do agree with all that has been said. Sometimes I wish we had more time to "Just go with the flow" and let them have the time to use their energy to think outside the box and go where their imagination leads them. Darn that EOG!!! I think sometimes it can stifle our ability to let our students "see where their curiosity leads them."
ReplyDeleteKim Lowman
If students can relate to what they are studying, they are so much more interested and excited about a class. They love to be able to make a connection and share that information with their fellow students and teachers. It is important to find out their interests and include those, when possible, in what we teach. As Kim said, I wish we had more time to do this in our classes. Sometimes we seem so rushed trying to fit everything in.
ReplyDeleteIf students have prior knowledge about the subject being taught they are more likely to really listen to what you have to say. When they are able to make a connection with the subject and add to the conversation it seem to give then a sense of belonging and taking an active role in their own learning. We must help our students realize that as long as we live there will always be something new to learn.
ReplyDeleteIt would be great if we had time to do this in our classes. As stated before, when we are trying to fit in all that is required it is difficult to find the interests of out students and let that lead some of our instruction. However, I do a lot with taking what students already know and applying that to teaching a new concept. Before I teach adding and subtracting radicals, I do a mini-lesson on adding and subtracting like and unlike fractions. The connection is then made to radicals which makes the process much easier for the students.
ReplyDeleteI believe it is important to give students an opportunity to share what they know. In this way, they are allowed to show ownership in what they do each day. I have found that students are much more likely to participate when they feel they are being heard. Most of the time, they will listen to me if they know I have listened to them. Learning what they know about can lead to all different directions, for students and the teacher. They have much to offer when we stop to listen.
ReplyDeleteSome of my favorite teachers always used what students were interested in to teach lesssons. I think that if you understand the students you are teaching then you connect with them on a different level. Personally, I like to use examples of ways students will use what we learn in the classroom later on in life. I think it tells them why what they are learning in 6th, 7th or 8th grade is important. Students need to be engaged by the material you are teaching.
ReplyDeleteAshley Campbell
What excellent comments! It certainly makes it difficult to come up with something new. I agree totally with so many different staff members. I enjoy listening to the students when they are sharing what they know and all about their life away from school. From their interests and activites many topics of discussion evolve. Allowing time for students to share also provides an opportunity to those quiet ones to discover they just might have some of the same issues and aren't so different after all. I wish there could be more time to listen,discuss, and explore topics important to them. I could learn so much. Recently,I read an anonymous quote that stated, "Teachers of teenagers will agree that adolesence is like a house on moving day-a temporary mess! Maybe so, but what a fascinating mess it is!
ReplyDeleteCharlene Lackey
I would love to have the time to find out more about my student's lives, so I could relate me and my subject to their current knowledge. It just seems that like everyone and everything else that we are spending to much time doing but not doing it well. Maybe I can manage my time better to get to know my students better.
ReplyDeleteI get stories daily from my students. I enjoy each and everyone one of them. Most of the time they are so funny I nearly cry. But in order for students to learn we must teach the things they are interested in and try to incorporate it into our teaching. For example, I have many students who want to research their family tree and see what their family history reveals. I'm really excited about trying this!
ReplyDeleteCandace Heffinger
I really enjoy reading this blog posts. I try to find out about students whenever an opportunity presents itself--in the hall before school starts, during intramurals, anytime. I so agree with those above who comment that it sometimes seems difficult to give over classtime to hearing students share what's important to them (and for us to learn about each of them individually) when the curriculum is so long and the time so short. Yet I've always taught by the dictum that students don't care what I know till they know that I know them and I care.
ReplyDeleteThe quote above basically describes a strategy that I sometimes use at the start of a new unit of study. We often introduce a topic and compose a list of words/ideas/facts that students know about that particular topic, we then address them together, (noting their response) and finally compose a list of questions that students would love to have answered concerning the topic at hand. In essecne this is an "invitation" to students to help shape part of the unit of study that we are about to embark on. You will always find greater enthusiasm and excitement from students when they know that the key questions that they want to have answered are going to be part of the field of study. Needless to say, students will also relate better to a teacher who seems to address the desire to answer important questions that students wish to know the answers to. Helping and encouraging students to ask questions and seek answers with them will only create a more positive exchange in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteEveryone enjoys knowing something. I doubt anyone feels comfortable when they don't know much about a topic. Because many things we teach students is new information, we must connect with their prior knowledge so they feel confident. By the children sharing stories and personal experiences, we know they are invested. They are enjoying the discussion, activity, lesson, etc.... because it is personal: It matters to them. Also, more regions of their brain are being stimulated. Their recall of the memories or curiosities they are bringing to the surface is activated at the same time their listening and speaking skills are utilized and they are forming brain folds to absorb the new information that you are presenting to them at the same time. Not only do they care more about what is going on, their brain is more stimulated.
ReplyDeleteStudents learn most when we tap into their interests. Sometimes when I ask students what they know about a topic, only a few hands go up. After a few share their thoughts though, others begin associating their thoughts with the ideas being shared. At this point, I have everyone's interest and the thinking process begins. They are not listening to me talk, they are thinking for themselves. Most of the time comments made by some lead to questions by others, and this is learning on a higher level than when information is being "spoon fed".
ReplyDeleteIn band, or any performing group, students have to "open up" with emotions that will be transfered to the music. In turn, the sound becomes music. It becomes a journey for the performers and the audience. This quote is something that directors have to be able to pull out of middle schoolers, which can be a difficult task. If students know you have a geniune interest in them, they can achieve a high level of performance.
ReplyDeleteCreating a connection with students on different levels gains respect and a wealth of knowledge about that student.
ReplyDeleteMy forum is unique in that I have many opportunities to hear what students like to read and many conversations stem from that. They even offer suggestions about what to order and relate personal stories. I encourage their opinions and rely on their input to keep the media center attractive to them.
ReplyDeleteFunny that I experienced this phenomena today. I had my students fill out a KWL chart for our new unit of study on Oceans. As I walked around the room, I observed a variety of responses that intrigued me. Then I asked each student to share something they knew about oceans and something that they wanted to learn. What I found is that student interests are revealed in their questions. For instance, one student, asked this question. "What causes a wipeout". I knew that he meant a wipeout as in a a wipeout while surfing a wave. The student apparently is interested in surfing and truly wants to relate science to his interests. THe activity was perfect for inviting learning at several levels.
ReplyDeleteIt makes everyone feel good to have a voice; surely even we as grown-ups realize that. We cannot expect children to want to know about the things we HAVE to teach them, sometimes we must find out what they WANT us to teach them to get through to them. I often find that it is the conversations inspired by a random question or by tangential discussions that inspire the most long-term remembering. Even though it is difficult to sacrifice "classtime" to have a discussion that may or may not have any bearing on our subject area, it goes a long way towards moving the kids out of apathy and towards engagement.
ReplyDeleteWhen I have students repsond with prior knowledge, they are going to be more vocal in my class and they will usually take more interest in the topic that follows. I love when a student will express a past experience and tell a story that they are somehow relating to the topic (even if I'm struggling to see the connection) because they are much more engaged and excited to have their voice heard.
ReplyDeleteOur students treasure the value we place on their comments. When they have the opportunity to discuss anything they have prior knowledge about, classroom talks can be phenomenal. Discussion is key in getting students to connect with concepts, and by allowing them the space and the opportunity to talk with us, we open the door for connectivity.
ReplyDeleteIt's important to show that we are listening and that we are welcoming and encouraging our students concerns and questions. I believe it's imperative to our growth as educators and to our students education to collaborate through questions and interests.
ReplyDeleteAmber R. Treadway
By asking these questions teachers will be getting feedback concerning what their students know and what they are interested in knowing. By noting the responses of the students, teachers can guage the knowledge that has been mastered or obtained. By asking what they wish they knew more about teachers have an idea of what material needs to be reviewed or what information can be added to enhance learning. Students will be learning from each anothers responses and a student who has mastered a particular area can help others who are having trouble with the material.
ReplyDeleteI love Farrah's comment (others too, but her's stands out to me). This really does show "Students may not have realized that they too knew something about the topic until it was discussed." Kids, like adults, don't know what they know until probed sometimes. I did not think I knew much about computers until I started doing yearbook. Once I threw myself into it, I realized that it was something I could do. Like my mommy always says, "you never know what you can do until you try." You never know what these kids can do until you ask them.
ReplyDeleteI HAVE DONE THIS WITH STUDENTS WHO ARE SHY,NOT A "JOINER".(the ones who never volunteer stuff).ITS ALMOST LIKE A LOADED QUESTION, WHERE THE ANSWER IS NOT IMPORTANT BUT THE FACT THAT THEY ARE RESPONDING WITH ENTHUSIASM IS.......ITS GREAT FOR NORMALIZING THE QUIETER KIDS INTO A DISCUSSION.
ReplyDeleteFirst, it is important to listen to our students. Getting to know them will open up the doors to many interesting classroom discussions. Students love to talk when they feel that they have something to say and they are more interested in learning when they can apply the knowledge to their personal lives. Teaching should not be a one sided event of teachers doing all the talking. Students will listen to what their peers are talking about quicker than they will listen to a teacher.
ReplyDeleteWhen you ask the students what they know about a subject you are giving them a chance to show off. Something most middle school students enjoy. You are giving them a chance to share their experience; you are giving them a chance to socialize about learning. You can then take what they know from the subject and begin teaching. You have your base line of where to begin. Asking the students what they want to learn about the subject gives them a chance to help create the lesson. This gives them more reason to pay attention; they are looking for the answer to the question(s) they created. This process takes more time and creativity but it gets the students involved in their learning and that's what is most important.
ReplyDeleteAnna Hicks
Again, I think that it comes back to the ever important "relationships". If you can develop that relationship with the students they will feel more comfortable to share things about themselves with you. I always tell students about my own children and some of the things that happen to them--this provokes them to comment about their own experiences.
ReplyDeleteCultivate those RELATIONSHIPS and doors will be open between you and your students.
The quote solidly relates to engagement. Engagement can be at multiple levels; recalling being a low level and working up to them articulating what they want to know at a high level. In order to foster this engagement, we need to provide opportunities (KWL's, Chalk Talks, Discussion Boards) for their mind to expand into the higer levels.
ReplyDeleteStudents are always willing to share what they know even when we might not need their comments. I think it is very important however to hear what’s going on in their lives, what their likes and interests are so that we can relate them to our lessons. When lessons are presented to students in a way they can relate they are much more likely to be engaged and take information from the lesson.
ReplyDeleteMandy Barriger