Saturday, September 19, 2009

Natalie DiSalvo!

Trying to think about how I think about material I encounter really seems to confuse me! I have never really thought about it until the question was asked and also when I was reading the reading for class. They kept mentioning how important it is for students to be aware of how they think and make sure they are listening to their inner conversation. As a teacher, it is important to have examples and make sure students know that it is not uncommon to stray from the topic that they are reading. When I think about how I read, I always find myself reaching the end of a paragraph and wondering what I just read. I always seem to have tons and tons of other things going on in my head-such as what homework I have left or what I will do later on after I finish reading. When I am really trying to focus on the readings at hand, I usually take notes or highlight in the book. That tends to keep my focus on the pages in front of me. Another way I try to organize my thoughts is after I read a paragraph, I try to write a note/say in my head a summary of that paragraph to make sure I got the main point of what I previously read.
A lot of teachers have different techniques to see how the children are interpreting the information or organizing their thoughts. One way teachers do this is by making webs. The webs usually have the title of the book/article in the middle with the key points branching off of it. Another idea to organize thoughts is making an outline. Outlines take more time or at least for me. The outlines can highlight the main points along with smaller facts underneath them if one would like to (just like a web could). Teachers need to make sure that they do not think that the way they organize their thinking is going to work for all of their students. As teachers, it is important to be prepared and have several different types of techniques for the students to choose from. This will allow the students to try various kinds and see which one works best for them. The more choice students have within some assignments and classroom activities, the more the students will feel motivated since they will be able to pick and choose; hopefully be more creative and focused.

1 comment:

  1. I really enjoyed Natalie's blog. I also find myself at the end of a paragraph and not understanding at all what I have just read. So many things go through my mind and one time that it is hard to keep everything I read straight. Like Natalie, I also take notes and highlight when I read, especially for my classes. The reading for this week helped me see that I should really stop and talk to myself when I am reading to see what I understand and what I don't understand.

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