"Picture This!" (The 3 Q's)

1. A quote that stands out to me in Chapter 6: "Graphic organizers offer an opportunity for students to construct an answer while allowing the teacher to quickly assess their understanding." This quote stands out to me because it explains (in one sentence) how graphic organizers are effective and why teachers should use graphic organizers in the classroom. 


2. One question I would like to ask the author: How would you use a concept map (or other graphic organizers) with kindergartners or first graders? Basically, how can I simplify graphic organizers so that the younger children will understand what they are doing and why?


3. A personal connection to the text: I remember creating a concept map in my science class (for elementary education). That was really the first time I fully understood what a graphic organizer was and it completely helped me understand the concept I was studying. However, this chapter has made me realize that there are many other types of graphic organizers that I never knew about. I really enjoyed learning more about graphic organizers and how to use them in each subject area.

Writing to Learn

This article, along with chapter 8, was very informative. I learned a lot of new strategies to incorporate into my classroom when I become a teacher, which is very helpful. "Considering a topic under study and then writing about it requires deeper processing than reading alone entails, according," according to Fordham, Wellman, and Sandman. I really liked this statement because I can definitely relate to it. In other words, they are basically saying that writing about a topic that you've just read require more than just reading about it. Comprehension is something that students have to work at. It doesn't just come natural. I, for example, had lots of problems in elementary school with comprehending a short story and then anwering questions about it. I was an excellent reader, but I often found myself re-reading the story or looking back at it several times to try and comprehend what I had just read. "Integrating writing with reading enhances comprehension because the two are reciprocal processes." This is another great sentence that caught my attention. I never really understood why I had to answer questions about short stories when I was in elementary school, but now I realize that it was a way for me to enhance my comprehension skills. I used to think a good reader was someone who could read fast and never had trouble with the words. I know now that is definitely not the case. You must find ways to comprehend what you read, or reading will be absolutely useless.

There were many good strategies that I read about and will use in my classroom. The first one I really liked was biopoems. Biopoems are excellent strategies to achieve a deeper understanding of a historical figure. It requires students to think carefully about what they've read and make inferences about what a person's actions and statements imply. The biopoem we did in class was actually very fun for me. Another strategy I liked was the ABC list. An ABC list requires critical and creative thinking. The students conceptualize their new understanding of a particular topic by creating an alphabet list. After reading the text, the students choose significant words of phrases for each letter of the alphabet. This strategy would be especially good with the younger children. For older kids, quick writes and structured note taking would be good strategies to help them prepare for reading assignments.

Two questions I have:
How can I distinguish between a good reader (with comprehension skills) and a good reader (without comprehension skills)?
Most of these strategies were not used when I was in elementary school. Are the teachers implementing them now? If so, I would like to know which ones work best and if there are other ones I have not heard of that work well with students.