Posting this late, but these last two chapters had me marking all kinds of things!
Let me just begin by saying that Vinton shares such fascinating reflections about what readers are really doing. I really appreciate being able to see into her mind.
I'm intrigued by a new idea - Framing vs. Scaffolding. "Thinking Frames" are from Project Zero's David Perkins Vinton writes. They help "guide the process of thought, supporting, organizing, and catalyzing". I have never learned about them before like I had with scaffolding. It is interesting that I am seeing over and over again this summer about how we have over-scaffolded students, so that the scaffold is the thing being taught, not the way of reading or thinking (p. 182).
Framing "breaks down complex thinking into manageable pieces without ever losing sight of the whole" and "invites students to engage in the actual thinking work that's behind what we often teach as skills" (p. 182).
I really am interested in this idea - getting at the thinking, rather than the end product. Isn't that what we purport to want from our students? But if we never give them the opportunity to actually think, what then?
I also am reading a great deal about "extraction" versus "transaction". I think many times we are asking students to extract - which again indicates a correct answer or end product. There are many types of questions that when framed just a bit differently, can bring the reader in and make them more inquisitive.
What's the main idea? (extraction) versus What do you think the writer wants you to understand? (transaction) - What a difference!
On page 186 Vinton talks about "reacting to the facts, rather than responding". Reacting invites students to bring their feelings. I was excited about this because for a few years now, I've been using a chart called Fact/React with my library students which helps them annotate and think about the nonfiction they are reading. I found it on Twitter (I wish I could find the tweet!) but it has been really interesting to watch kids. Rather than just writing down facts, it asks them to show their thinking. To me, it helps take away that regurgitation of information.
Chapter 10 discusses Independent Reading and conferences. I loved the slight shift Vinton suggests for beginning a conference - instead of asking about the book, make it about the reader. For example, Are you wondering about anything? or Have you noticed any patterns or things that are repeated? It's not about what they are reading, but how they are making meaning, which is really what we are teaching isn't it?
I also loved the quote on p. 208 about engagement from Charlotte Danielson - Here's the beginning: "Student engagement is not the same as . . . "time on task."
This work is hard. Really hard. And I have a lot to learn, but I am excited and energized to use these ideas with my students. I will have to make tweaks to use them in the library, but I love that challenge!
Thanks to all the #cyberPD folks for another amazing book group this summer!