Week 2 Chapter 1 - January 25 - February 1 - Delaware Valley Literacy Association

Week 2 Chapter 1 - January 25 - February 1

1/23/2020

Thank you for your participation thus far! We are looking forward to a continued collaborative discussion in which we share our thinking about the text.

For week 2, share your thinking about Chapter 1. After reading the chapter, consider responding to one or more of the following prompts or share your ideas with a general prompt.

Prompts specific to chapter 1:

What connections did you make from the Preface and Chapter 1?
What does it mean to you to approach education with an inquiry stance?
How do you reflect on your practice, or encourage others to do so?
After reading the chapter, how might you use the “reflect, connect, and apply” strategy?

General prompts:

What was meaningful to you?
How can you use this in your own practice?
How does the content connect and apply to your practice?

Thank you again for your participation!

10 Comments

Janice Ewing

1/25/2020 09:18:55 am

Hi Everyone,

It's a rainy Saturday morning, a good time for reading, reflecting, and writing. Welcome to everyone who introduced themselves on either of the threads below. We're glad to "see" you here! If you're just joining us now, it's fine to introduce yourself here and jump into the conversation.
As Mary and I wrote this book, we wanted to look at the whole process of action research, but also focus on specific parts. We started with the inquiry stance. I'm wondering if others think that teachers are encouraged to develop an inquiry stance, and what that might look like in your experience. As explained in the prompts above, all comments, connections, or questions are welcome!

RITA SORRENTINO

1/25/2020 10:39:15 am

Taking an inquiry stance is a way to sustain an ongoing commitment to evaluating and improving the teaching and learning environment in our classrooms. I believe many teachers reflect on lessons, evaluate student achievement through data, and vary strategies according to need. However, developing an inquiry goes beyond “ a once and done” problem-solving strategy, test-score improvements, or assignment options to meet Standards. The inquiry stance helps teachers develop a teacher-knowledge base to inform their own practice and share with a wider community to enlighten and challenge their beliefs.

Janice Ewing

1/26/2020 09:41:17 am

Rita,
I agree that inquiry is not a once and done event. To me, the concept of an inquiry stance means that teachers are always questioning and wondering how to improve the learning environment for their students. Some of those questions and wonderings can lead to deeper inquiry. Is that how others see it?

Courtney Knowlton

1/27/2020 09:35:27 pm

During my time as a teacher of multilingual students over the past nine years, I have heard countless times that this or that resource is not really designed for linguistically diverse students. Therefore, I am constantly taking parts of programs and trying "to design optimal experiences for students" myself (page 6). This is why an inquiry stance is vital for my job. Every student's background knowledge varies so much, I constantly need to check my own prejudices, and I need to consistently ask myself if I am doing what's best for their unique strengths and needs.

Meg Norris

1/28/2020 07:40:37 am

As I read Chapter 1 and reflected on my years as a teacher in several different roles, I realized that I often take an inquiry stance. If I am reading a new professional book and implementing ideas with my class, then I am monitoring their progress using anecdotal notes to determine the effectiveness of the new strategies utilized. As I continue to grow in my teaching practice, this topic will remain pertinent to me as I can use the models presented in the text to guide my thinking. As Buckelew and Ewing (2019) stated, "The inquiry stance helps educators to embrace and understand that learning to teach is an ongoing process" (p. 5). I believe this to be true.

maureen foley

1/29/2020 11:29:08 am

The expectation of standard-driven curriculum and the demands of district pacing guides have robbed teachers of the opportunity to develop their craft and created a generation of curriculum disabled students. The "one and done" attitude has been fostered by programs that spiral and address skills in isolation. I'm currenty struggling with learning about Text Dependent Analysis (TDA) and how to relay the message that it's not something we teach on Tuesday!
OK, now that I'm finished complaining I'll share that I am excited about the push to help students notice text structure and author's craft. Adapting an inquiry stance with the understaning that the transfer (or acquiring) of knowledge will not be instantaneous is freeing and reduces stress for all.

Janice Ewing

1/29/2020 02:37:47 pm

Wow, Maureen, your phrase "curriculum disabled students" really makes a strong point! I completely agree that deep, authentic learning is a slow process and cannot be controlled by a pacing guide. I also think that learning about text structure and author's craft lend themselves well to an inquiry model -- looking closely at a variety of texts to see what choices the authors made. Let us know how it's going.

Carol Shiffrin

1/29/2020 10:49:44 am

Taking an inquiry stance by asking questions about our students and our classroom practices is something good teachers do often. As a district reading director, one of my most inspiring learning experiences was meeting with a group of teachers who were implementing an excellent comprehensive literacy program for kindergarteners which included intensive literacy training institutes for the teachers. On a weekly basis, the teachers met during lunch or prep to discuss how the program was working for their students. Their discussions were based on the anecdotal notes they were taught to take and analysis of the classroom assessments they administered. I wish I had taped their conversations and questions! They were so thoughtful and interesting:
I noticed some of my students having trouble making predictions during story time.
Why aren’t some students engaged during message time?
I’m struggling with analyzing the results of the miscue analysis for these three students.
I was so impressed with the teachers’ use of their notes and assessments to question and refine their practices. I also recognized the importance and value of meeting on a frequent, regular basis with a supportive learning community to maintain an inquiry stance in the busy lives of teachers.

maureen foley

1/29/2020 06:21:49 pm

Anecdotal notes are invaluable. I used to take notes regularly but gradually stopped for some reason. After reading your post I'm motivated to return to the practice. Years ago someone shared a strategy of recording notes on adhesive mailing labels throughout the day then later transferirng the notes to kids folders (or wherever you keep data). I remember it being easy to carry just one clipboard to take notes and not having to rewrite them later. Thanks for sharing!

Meg Norris

1/31/2020 09:35:57 am

Maureen,

I have used that strategy, and I found it to be very helpful! It made it easier to have more of a systematic system. I hope it works for you!

Winter Book Club

Week 2 Chapter 1 - January 25 - February 1

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