DRIVEN TO UNDERSTAND Chapter 3 Claudette Gardner & Saima Dard Reading Part 2 York Region District School Board April 12 th, 2011

 Look at the title and cover of the picture book.  Does the title speak to you?  Based on what you see, do you now want to read the story?

“We are fervent- we concentrate intensively, we lose ourselves in the experience of thought, the world disappears, and we work to learn more. We choose to challenge ourselves.” p.47

What comes to mind when you hear the following phrases?  We are fervent  We dwell in ideas  We create models

 “To accommodate and encourage fervent learners begin with a classroom structure and climate that supports in depth learning.” p.53

What is Crafting?  Description: Large group, heterogenous, typically deep- structure instruction  Teaching tactic: Think aloud, some modelling; students turn and talk or share thinking with whole group  Focus: Strategies and skills in which all students need instructions  Frequency: At least 3 times per week

What is Composing?  Description: Independent reading  Teaching tactics: Students apply what has been taught in the crafting session or invitational group  Focus: Teachers confer to assess present performance level and press students to higher levels of application  Frequency: Every day

Invitational Groups  Description: Small, need homogenous by need, not level  Teaching Tactic: Think aloud and modelling with frequent opportunities for students to practice and apply the skill or strategy with immediate reinforcement  Focus: Often surface structure needs  Frequency: as needed

Reflection Sessions  Description: Reflecting on what has been learned in a way that will instruct others  Teaching tactic: Demonstrating a variety of ways for students to share what they have learned  Focus: Children share their applications of recently learned strategies  Frequency: Each child reflects once or twice a month in this context

What if we decided that that all children deserve an opportunity to be approached as great thinkers? What if we chose to teach children not just the content prescribed by the curriculum, but how to understand as Van Gogh understood- fervently? What if we engaged in conversations with children about their ability to think intensely? What would that look like in our classroom? How would children respond? What if….?

READ TALK REFLECT BE AN AVID READER!!!!!!!!!!TALK TO YOUR STUDENTS!!!!!!!