Week of June 19
I must confess...I had a rare opportunity to explore BHH in my classroom with students before the book came out. My reflections focus more on the experience of exploring the framework... I also "tweeted" about the experiences we had: https://storify.com/MrsWeberREAD/using-bhh
140 Comments
6/19/2017 11:53:35 am
Heidi, you are mentioned on page 66. COOL!
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Joan Miller
6/19/2017 05:32:20 pm
I agree- how awesome Heidi! I love the idea of the QR codes to Anchor Charts!!! Hmmm, already thinking about this for next year...
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Angie Toole
6/20/2017 11:50:27 am
Heidi you are just amazing! Your ideas always motivate me to strive to be a better teacher. I love the sketch notes, the use of post it notes, and how use the bookmarks.
Jackie Blosser
6/22/2017 10:15:12 am
Wow Heidi I too noticed the mention of your name and classroom on pag 66. How awesome that you had Kylene visit your classroom.
Lisa Frase
6/22/2017 11:48:05 am
When I read page 66, I was impressed, Heidi! As others have said, very cool! Your experience and input is definitely an asset to this book study.
Heidi Weber
6/22/2017 02:28:10 pm
I promise I did not see the shout out coming when I chose the book! The book study was set up before the book ever came out. Like I said in my reflections, Kylene found me through email and we had some short but impactful exchanges. I knew the images would be in the book because my students and I had to sign releases :0)
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Jenn Ramage
6/23/2017 12:45:11 pm
Loved seeing Alessandra's bookmark :) So fun!
Jennifer Forren
6/26/2017 07:22:35 am
While I know that your motivation never has anything to do with recognition, I think it is fitting that the authors were able to recognize your impressive work in your classroom. What you have done to transform your teaching for the benefit of your students' learning never ceases to amaze me!!!!
Andrea Conover
6/26/2017 12:05:22 pm
I love your bookmark idea!! I'm definitely going to try that out as I try to teach the three big questions more intentionally this year! :)
Kelly Cummings
7/11/2017 01:13:35 pm
Very cool! I noticed that too! Im going to try to do some of the sketch noting, pod casting and QR codes too. I think the students will go back to it and listen:) I met a teacher this year that records all of her lessons and posts them to google classroom. Then she has more time to conference and meet with the students.
Heidi Weber
6/22/2017 02:30:41 pm
I have also considered adding Augmented reality to anchor charts. I have played with Aurasma and could see setting up a trigger image on an anchor chart that would show a video sample. Great idea on the QR codes!
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6/26/2017 07:12:57 am
I have heard many teachers say that they do not have wall space for all the anchor charts they need.
Tara O'Hea
8/4/2017 09:50:09 am
Moira,
Kate Simons
6/24/2017 08:58:25 pm
I was also so excited to see Heidi mentioned in the book! How wonderful!
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Tracy Obringer
6/19/2017 11:55:55 am
Chapter 5-6 were interesting for me. As a person that has simply loved reading for as long as I can remember, it boggles my mind when students HATE it. As a high school teacher, it saddens me when a study claims that only 14% of teens aged 15-17 read for fun. Reading is, and always has been, an escape for me. I wish that all of my students would be able to see that. But I realize that in today's society, it is hard to get fully immersed in a book. I hate to admit it, but even I catch myself checking my social media pages while I am reading. My own attention span has dwindled and I can well remember the days before every person was plugged in ALL THE TIME! I can't even imagine growing up with the internet literally at my fingertips 24 hours a day...
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Joan Miller
6/19/2017 05:27:37 pm
Tracy- So frustrating for you! I work with grades 4-8 so I see excited readers become unengaged but I'm sure that by high school it is full-on apathy. I was a READER also growing up so it is hard for me to understand. I hope that we will continue to work on fixing the problem in middle school. We have to get away from only assigned reading with only right answer valued. Hopefully that will have a trickle down effect for high school and beyond;.
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Tracy Obringer
6/20/2017 11:05:38 am
Joan, 6/21/2017 09:51:06 am
To address both Joan and Tracy,
Katy Flynn
7/15/2017 05:22:52 pm
Teaching at the high school level, I absolutely see the apathy towards reading from the majority. Without fail, I do have a small number (about seven or eight students) throughout my day who are voracious readers, with whom I can have conversations about books until the cows come home. They’re ecstatic when I ask about what they’re reading and whether or not they would recommend I read it.
Jen Zarlino
6/20/2017 12:57:39 pm
I completely understand the frustration of being an avid reader and knowing the joy and power that comes from reading but not having some students reciprocate that feeling! I imagine many of us reading this book have that same frustration but it is probably a lot tougher to overcome student apathy in high school. I know in middle school I do some shared reading experiences to use as mentor texts in my lessons, but the students also have choice reading books and also have choice when in book clubs. That seems to increase excitement for them, but again that is in middle school and I know high school students and course requirements can be very different.
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Tracy Obringer
6/20/2017 06:13:02 pm
Jen,
Jen Zarlino
6/21/2017 04:33:13 pm
Tracy,
Becky Kondritz
6/22/2017 05:40:35 pm
When reading the data on the change in interest of student readers, I also became discouraged. Being a teacher, I cannot help what role I play in these numbers. I have been guilty of reading only what is in the book. One of the most negative examples was my first year teaching when I taught The Outsiders. My students HATED the novel. The following year, the next group begged to read it, but I was hesitant. I realized it was teacher error. I taught to the comprehension test. I did not get my students to think about the characters (head) and how they would have reacted (heart) if placed in that situation. The first year I taught it, I neglected to help my students empathize with the characters. The second time through was a MUCH more positively received by my students. 6/21/2017 10:06:22 am
Tracy,
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Tracy Obringer
6/21/2017 12:47:40 pm
I wish we still had a librarian :( They are really integral in keeping up a reading culture in the HS. I witnessed this in my previous district where we had a super young, VERY "hip" media specialist who really got the teens involved in the library! My current district's librarian retired and she was not replaced. We have a great lady "manning the check out counter" but it is just not the same!
Jen Zarlino
6/21/2017 04:29:08 pm
Reading in the Wild is my next professional book. The Book Whisperer was a game-changer for me. I'm glad to hear there are some great strategies to develop capacity and a love for reading!
Jackie Blosser
6/22/2017 10:30:50 am
In a training session yesterday I was reflecting with high school administrators about the lack of student engagement in high school English classes in our destruct. I agree with Sarah and others on the frustration of students bragging about reading, but we are educators need to take some of that responsibility if we are not providing student choice and TIME for the, to read. In my position, I observe high school classes so focused on covering material and using text so irrelevant to our student population that the reading for pleasure independently is nonexistent. If students don't see this modeled and find a purpose doing it, this frustration will continue on.
Lisa Frase
6/22/2017 01:05:00 pm
Hi, Sarah!
Becky Kondritz
6/22/2017 05:29:06 pm
I read Miller's The Book Whisperer (and would like to read Reading in the Wild). I had a co-worker read it, and we have started to revamp the way we teach reading. We give students approximately 20% free reading time where they choose their books. To hold them accountable, we do make them complete a journal every other week. One paragraph to summarize what they are reading. A second paragraph to identify a sign post (Thank you Notice and Notes), state the anchor question, and respond to the anchor question and how it contributed to their comprehension. After this summer's reading, I know we will be adding to our reading "toolbox" and revamping even more.
Amy B
6/23/2017 10:01:56 am
Should we really be surprised that students brag about not reading? If we teach them to decode to quickly understand a text or work on computers which takes much of the labor out of the work, isn't our underlining educational statement that doing less is better? I know this isn't our goal but maybe it is our unconscious push on students. If they read faster for whatever reason they can answer the questions faster. The faster they finish questions the quicker we can get to new material before the state test which mysteriously must be taken month a half before schools done. Not saying it is right to brag about not reading though with reflection on this text I can start to see why even with the best of intentions students are proud to not read.
Miranda Franck
8/13/2017 11:39:24 am
Sarah,
Lisa Frase
6/22/2017 12:57:58 pm
I am "right there with you, Tracy!" I teach high school, too, and it is so discouraging to see how reading is not perceived as enjoyable for most of my students as well. It also seems like it is challenging for my students to read outside of school because they have jobs and/or are in several after school activities.
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Miranda Franck
8/13/2017 11:45:05 am
We not longer have a library media specialist, either. I agree that it changes the culture. In addition, I really miss collaborating on lessons and utilizing the skills of the LMS at my old school. We'd discuss books, she'd keep us updated on what's new with INFOhio, the list goes on. She really helped get the kids excited about books and find resources. Now, that is more of the load I carry, which is tough to balance. I do have a huge classroom library in my room, but it's just not the same.
Angela Westlake
6/23/2017 02:42:37 pm
I felt the same way, Tracy, though I am on the other end of the spectrum with third graders. I love reading and could read hours on end (if only I had the time!), and I am so sad that there are so many students who hate reading and can't wait to graduate. I feel like a lot of the feelings students have about reading begin to form early on. While we can't control whether there are books in the home (at least not significantly) or whether the parents encourage reading, I do think that the way we present reading in elementary impacts the feelings students have in high school and beyond. This study has made me excited to see so many teachers who are passionate about getting their students to read.
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Barb Gall
6/29/2017 05:04:38 pm
I agree with what you are saying Angela. It's hard to build lifelong readers when there are parents who do not value reading and who put your work down. The more excited we are the bigger influence we can have on our students. One of the most successful things I did this year was to partner my kiddos up with the preschool classes. It gave them a purpose for reading and helped them to see the value in it. Just a thought....is it possible that because our world has changed with all the technology available, kids are not reading for fun or enjoyment like we used to? When I was in school there weren't all the entertainment options available today. Maybe we need to try and find a way to have reading compete with apps, games etc... I look at the "educational" toys available for preschoolers, maybe our mindset needs to adjust to the world we live in.
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steve murray
6/23/2017 10:54:04 pm
Not to turn this political, but I don't see many examples of leaders, celebrities, etc, who place much value on reading or, for that matter, sustained thinking. I don't want to be the anti-tech naysayer, but after 30 years of teaching, and only the last 10 or so of them in the world of immersive social media, I am convinced it is getting increasingly difficult to convince them that there are rewards that come with wrestling with ideas, struggling with higher level diction, or being willing to live with only partial understanding.
Andrea Conover
6/26/2017 12:19:36 pm
Debbie and Steve - I can absolutely see where you are coming from with this. I think the other issue with social media/technology that makes reading difficult for kids is everything they get is in short bursts. I feel it is then difficult for them to stay engaged with a longer text.
Jennie Joseph
6/26/2017 07:35:16 pm
I've taught for a long time and am also shocked that kids hate to read. The statistics were even more shocking. I also know that sometimes I've had a kid a whole year and they leave me still not liking to read. That makes me sad. I wish I had a magical answer too and amd not sure this book has as many as I need. I think it's "easy" to be changed by a book, but for some kids, just getting them to like it or thing some is a challenge -- life changing...not sure I can teach that exactly. Hoping they offer more concrete ways that will appeal to upper level students.
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Molly Klodor
7/13/2017 11:26:31 am
I have to agree that students spend less time reading traditional texts and more time glued to their social media worlds. And, while I'm not one to say whether that's good or bad, I think that teachers need to encourage students to engage in reading more. A commitment to independent reading is critical, even though we don't really have time for it. Last year ILA published some ideas for how to make IR work in our classrooms and, while it's very vague, it's helped remind me that I can give of 10 minutes of class time for independent reading. https://www.literacyworldwide.org/blog/literacy-daily/2016/02/18/making-independent-reading-work
Traci Kennedy-Brockfield
8/3/2017 07:42:17 pm
See, I saw the opposite as I didn't enjoy reading until I read Harry Potter after college.I can use my own experience as a reluctant reader to sympathize with students to help them find that book or series that hooks them, but it certainly is tough.
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Tara O'Hea
8/4/2017 09:52:38 am
I honestly think one way to encourage this is from implementing more choice reading. Students are often handed books to read and they may not even like the topic/genre. Unfortunately, with so many kids basically on their cell phones, etc. in their free time, they are less likely to pick up a book. Choice reading implemented in class may help students discover that there ARE books that resonate with them and this may help them become life long readers.
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Joan Miller
6/19/2017 05:23:16 pm
Loved the simplicity in these chapters! I know that a few of us had already talked about how we can add the question of- How has this book changed my life? to our interactions with kids but this chapter just helped me develop my understanding of the idea that "reading shapes lives". It does and I so want to help kids feel this. What I loved in this week's reading was the ease of the BHH chapter. It is so simple and yet so wonderful. I loved the idea of the poster with the prompts. When the standards changed, I felt like I abandoned all the "good" stuff that I had in my toolbox for helping kids respond to text on a personal level. I'm glad to see that it is still as important. I also liked the genre reformation or the ABC chart. I'd forgotten about that one! I especially liked the review of the Fix-Up Strategies. I love DIY Literacy by Maggie and Kate Roberts and all of this info will fit in nicely with that work I started this year. I would also like to continue to develop tool kits to help add to my small group work. These ideas will be a goldmine for my work with small groups/conferring and for our book groups. I'm so excited to go back and use this with my teachers!
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Angie Toole
6/20/2017 12:23:41 pm
Joan, I also loves how they acknowledge hoe the BHH and overlap. I myself get wrapped up in details and so do my students. Having the understanding that they overlap was great to hear.
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Jen Zarlino
6/20/2017 12:44:05 pm
I agree about how great these two chapters were! I also liked the review of strategies, such as SWBS, in the classroom. I know I often forget what I know because there is so much else to think about, and the reminder is valuable to helping students.
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Heidi Weber
6/22/2017 02:34:55 pm
Joan, I read DIY Literacy last summer (#CyberPD) and that is why I had students doing bookmarks! My kids loved making them for strategies they used (which is why Alessandra made the one she did). Have you tried demonstration notebooks or microprogressions?
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Barb Gall
6/29/2017 05:09:37 pm
Heidi,
Heidi Weber
7/24/2017 06:04:53 am
Barb... check out this collection of DIY Literacy tools: https://padlet.com/mnero/cyberPD2016DIYLiteracy
Becky Kondritz
6/22/2017 05:33:28 pm
I, too, love the simplicity of chapter 6's layout. These are practical, simple techniques that work across the BHH scope. I do want to be careful how I integrate because it could be overwhelming for some students.
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Jenn Ramage
8/25/2017 06:51:25 pm
I agree that the format could be overwhelming. I have some fear that the kids would be so wrapped up in the formatting that they'd end up focused on the wrong portion of the assignment. I want a strategy to support the reading, not the reading to be smothered by "how to read" it.
Amy B
6/23/2017 10:08:33 am
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Angela Westlake
6/23/2017 02:46:16 pm
I also really enjoyed to BHH chapter! It seems to be such a practical, real-life way to help students think about text and really evaluate the way a text can change them. Along with the fix-up strategies, I thought that the other strategies shared were also great. I love the idea of having students visually represent their thinking, especially for kids who are artistic. This might get them to open up a little more than if they had to just write their thoughts.
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Tara O'Hea
8/4/2017 09:57:39 am
I totally agree. I will definitely be implementing these strategies this school year. I also like the visual representation. I am a special education teacher and love to differentiate learning in my classes. Not everything has to be represented the same way.
Traci Kennedy-Brockfield
8/3/2017 07:45:11 pm
I too loved the ease and simplicity of the chapter! I said to my friend, between our Units of Study for Reading and Writing and the ideas throughout this book, I'm not going to have room for all the anchor charts in my classroom!
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Heather Barnes
6/20/2017 11:30:55 am
". . . we have too many kids who leave each year without having read one single book, some bragging about that accomplishment" (56). This quote resonated with me. I like the idea of the BHH framework and asking kids to look at how the text changed them, but how can we stop them from "faking" their way through a text? There's not enough time to accomplish everything in class and anything assigned for homework is often completed with the assistance of Google. . .
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Tracy Obringer
6/20/2017 06:14:18 pm
Heather,
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6/21/2017 09:58:14 am
Tracy,
Andrea Conover
6/26/2017 12:21:35 pm
Tracy - I feel the same way! I was introduced to Notice & Note two school years ago and I literally LOVE everything Beers & Probst write. It is all so easy to implement, but yet really changes the depth in which students engage and discuss texts!!
Megan McCaffrey
6/21/2017 10:43:56 am
Heather,
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Heather Barnes
6/23/2017 06:56:49 am
Megan -- Thanks for your "realist perspective" :) It is just so annoying!
Kelly Cummings
7/11/2017 01:30:44 pm
Totally agree! Ive had kids do that to me in recent years. Their filter has gone by the wayside as well. But Im hoping strategies like this get the kids to think and change and love challenging themselves.
Jennie Burris
6/21/2017 12:21:03 pm
Heather - I totally agree that it is super sad that students leave a class and brag that they made it through a whole year without reading one book.
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Heather Barnes
6/23/2017 06:58:54 am
-- or that they made it through their entire high school career without reading a book from cover to cover! :(
Jenn
8/25/2017 06:57:38 pm
I recently had a former student tell me they made it through honors coursework and several AP classes without "fully engaging" with the required text. She referenced fiction and informational text reading, alike. She expressed some fear about heading to college because she knows she has not acquired good strategies for reading, studying, and learning. It's scary that the kids realize they are likely unprepared when it's possibly too late. I wish teenagers didn't have to focus so completely on their final grades, but rather on their learning. Alas, high school transcripts are vital and the letters on those are often more important than the actual learning experienced by a student.
Kelly Cummings
7/11/2017 01:27:22 pm
I too get so caught up in the extracting knowledge part of it. The heart portion is such a good reminder of what reading is all about.
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Angie Toole
6/20/2017 12:19:45 pm
I agree that when kids read from the head and heart they will be more likely to read more responsibly. When students read to pass a test they are not transforming their thinking or reading responsibly. As I think about it, I am not sure I really ever read and thought "that changed something about me." As I sit here and reflect on my own experiences I really think I am guilty of reading for learning, taking a test, laughter, figuring out who did it, or for drama. I haven't asked myself what have I taken to heart and what did I find out about myself or how could I change myself?
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Jennie Burris
6/21/2017 12:24:06 pm
Angie,
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Jennie Joseph
6/26/2017 07:38:46 pm
Heck, the bookmark helped ME :) The BHH "strategy" made that "how did this change you" questions make more sense..."in your heart" vs. head and book makes it a lot more clear.
Lisa Frase
6/22/2017 01:12:49 pm
Angie,
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Heidi Weber
6/22/2017 02:38:58 pm
Angie, I have to admit that my students decided to make their own bookmarks with BHH. Last summer I read DIY Literacy (which I think you would LOVE) and bookmarks were one of the tools discussed. So I started last year with a "bookmark bag" (sharpies and precut tagboard). When ever a student wanted to make a reminder for themselves, they made a bookmark for it. It was pretty powerful! When they chose to make BHH ones, I was beside myself! I'll be happy to share my digital chart and post it templates if you want them.
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Katy Flynn
7/15/2017 05:33:23 pm
I loved the bookmark! I immediately thought about what a great idea it was, to have that small reminder while reading. And so versatile! Anything can go on them. Now I’m trying to figure out how to incorporate something similar in my classroom.
Jen Zarlino
6/20/2017 01:22:24 pm
This past spring I had heard some talk about the BHH framework and I am excited to read and learn more about it. I keep thinking about the last part of the framework, "in the heart." I would agree with Beers and Probst that this is hard to define but that kids would latch on to it. i when reading to my kids at home, how they feel about a book, what connections they can make to the self and what they know, seems to be what they think about first. I really like the aspect of thinking about "what you take to heart" and think about how the reading may cause you to think or act differently. I think this part of the framework is something I'd like to work on with my middle-school students.
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Mindy Luthman
6/20/2017 07:05:42 pm
The one line that stood out most to me in this section is "We think raising up those who need help is far more important than raising a test score" (71). This is exactly how I feel. I simply want my students to go on and be good people.
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Megan McCaffrey
6/21/2017 11:04:07 am
Mindy,
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Angela Westlake
6/23/2017 03:06:55 pm
I totally agree! It seems all too often that test scores are the priority. I admit that I, too, have fallen into that mindset at times. However, I want that to change! I want to be the kind of teacher who focuses on my students and their needs rather than on a score.
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steve murray
6/23/2017 10:58:22 pm
Go for it. When we teach kids to write we tell them to silence that inner critic, that inner voice telling them they can't write or can't think, or have nothing to say. As teachers we need to silence that same inner critic. And as a wise teacher told me 3o years ago when I was fretting over whether or not I should try something new she said "It's one hour of their life. You're not going to kill them! Try it."
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Angie Toole
6/26/2017 06:54:30 pm
Mindy,
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6/21/2017 10:01:07 am
So I keep thinking about all the posters I want to hang on my walls! As a librarian, it's a bit impractical, but as I go into teachers' classrooms as a mentor, I want to hang the posters! I hope there is a link to them somewhere as PDFs-I want to send them to Staples to blow them up onto big poster paper!
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Jennie Burris
6/21/2017 12:28:06 pm
Sarah - I giggled when I read your post because I am picturing what our walls will look like with all these ideas for posters. I also have found about 6 that I want to plaster on my walls.
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Heidi Weber
6/22/2017 02:44:45 pm
Sarah and Jennie, 6/23/2017 03:17:36 pm
I love this discussion group as well. I found a quote in another professional book I'm reading right now..."we only get better when we find those who truly elevate us." Thanks Heidi and everyone else who is inspiring me, motivating me, and transforming me into the best teacher I can be!
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6/26/2017 07:16:33 am
As good stewards of the content, be sure to cite the content for your anchor charts from Kyleen Beers and Robert Probst Notice & Note, and the title of the book.
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Megan McCaffrey
6/21/2017 10:56:53 am
Not to be the person to sound negative/pessimistic but I think it's completely fine if a student/person doesn't read for change. Page 58 addresses this but then page 59 immediately transitions into reading to be changed. As far as expecting change when reading--it's important but I think that more often than not, most things people read throughout the course of a day aren't being read to be transformed. I actually think if kids can read to follow a basic set of instructions we are on the right path. I think that kids can read a story, understand who is doing what, etc. But kids stuuggle most with reading & understanding expository/persuasive writing.my colleague, a biology teacher, is constantly venting because kids cannot follow simple directions in a lab group (something as simple as a list of commands on what to retrieve from shelves/drawers for a lab). So while I think it's important to have BHH and encourage students to awaken feelings and have compassion when reading, I think they first need to master basic reading skills--the type of reading skills that will be most useful in career areas and in their everyday life.
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Jen Zarlino
6/21/2017 04:41:06 pm
Megan,
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Kate Simons
6/24/2017 10:01:24 pm
The struggle is real! As a science teacher, I have been in those shoes! I want to tear all of my hair out every time students struggle to simply read and follow directions in a lab group. I am certain that they have the reading skills to accomplish the task. They are lacking other skills that prevent them from having the desire to read and follow the instructions. I feel as though it is my job to find creative ways to encourage them.
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6/26/2017 07:27:17 am
I cannot help but think about how to best provide the 'access' to the content that your students need while ensuring the Learning Standards are addressed. My gut is thinking that Universal Design for Learning www.cast.org could help you develop more ways for students to access the lab instructions. I don't know if this is the root cause of your concern. If the majority of kids can follow the lab, perhaps this article will provide you with some insight in what to do for those who struggle.
Kate Simons
6/30/2017 08:49:32 am
Thank you Moira! Those are great resources. I had not read that article from Chemical Journal before, but I am thankful that I already try to incorporate a lot of their suggestions into my teaching practice. As you suggested, I also attempt to use a wide array of delivery methods! That really helps!
Jennie Joseph
6/26/2017 07:52:53 pm
Thank you! I agree with your first statement. I think a LOT when I read, but I'm not always changed...even with some quality reads -- and I think that is okay! Wish other ideas were addressed more as surely this cannot be THE fix for all books.
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Jennie Burris
6/21/2017 12:34:46 pm
I cannot stop thinking about this quote: "Losing ourselves in a book is a wonderful experience" (59). I love reading (as do most of you I am assuming). I read ALL the time! In fact my boyfriend often jokes with me and says that he never really knew anyone who read as much as I do (I was flattered lol). SO...I am often lost in a good book and agree that it is a wonderful thing.
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Tracy Obringer
6/21/2017 12:51:42 pm
Jennie,
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Becky Kondritz
6/22/2017 05:20:05 pm
I'm trying to read through these comments before commenting, but your post really struck me. It is essential for teachers (across the curriculum) model being enthusiastic and diverse readers. I worked with a teacher who frequently told her students she did not have time to read. I don't know how I could place quality, relevant books in the hands of individual students if I didn't read myself. I post books I am reading and talk about them about why I love a particular book. Hopefully the "heart" part jumps out when I do this.
Heather Barnes
6/23/2017 07:03:18 am
Jennie -- I've seen firsthand the INCREDIBLE job you do when it comes to recommending just the right book to your students!!! :) :) :)
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Kate Simons
6/24/2017 10:12:49 pm
Reading is wonderful! The authors perfectly put all of my thoughts regarding my love for reading into words!
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Kristin Scherman
7/3/2017 07:34:01 am
I struggle personally with finding the time to read for pleasure and I think my psyche struggles as a result. When I make time to read in the summers or on vacation I am definitely more relaxed and more connected with my coping strategies in dealing with stress. I get mad at myself for not making time, but life really gets in the way sometimes. I think that many of my HS kids probably struggle with time management as well. I need to try to model this behavior more for my students and perhaps give them time to read for pleasure in class. How can I find the time when a test is always hanging over my head?!
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Traci Kennedy-Brockfield
8/3/2017 07:51:15 pm
I work with my sorority women at a nearby campus and just this past spring, my seniors were saying "we can't wait to just read a book of our choosing" and I found myself telling them they will be able to enjoy books again after college. It never occured to me at that time that this was the very mindset that many of our middle and high school students (and sometimes elementary) are feeling with books that are dictated to their assignments.
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Jennifer Forren
6/22/2017 08:37:04 am
Hey...I've seen those bookmarks, anchor charts and post-it notes live and in-person! Heidi is a teacher in my building, so I have gotten to watch her classroom in real-time. I have seen first hand how the use of the BHH strategy works in a classroom. I believe that it is a strategy that, once Heidi explained to the students, was implemented in a very purposeful way that helped her students to understand the texts that they were reading more deeply. Heidi references the post-it notes she created in her pod-cast -- they are such a cool tool! Color coded, pre-printed and then used by students within the BHH framework. When students start using a framework on their own (as Heidi mentioned that her students had) it really demonstrates that it has become an operational mode that has become automatic when they read. This will most certainly lead to a deeper understanding of the text and help the reader to grow.
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Jackie Blosser
6/22/2017 10:55:30 am
I would so like to see this in action. Wish I had Heidi in my district. I would love to come watch Heidi I need real time.
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Heidi Weber
7/24/2017 06:13:27 am
Thank you for your kind words Jackie! Everyday in my classroom is one big experiment so what you see is what you get! We do have fun though! I'm glad to hear that you have seen the BHH in action and that it is working. I am concerned, however, that it will not work as well with struggling readers. I work with kiddos who are 2 - 3 grade levels below and they struggle with decoding immensely. The 'head' part of this strategy, alone would overwhelm them. I'm anxious to implement it in my classroom this fall and hope to be pleasantly surprised:)
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Heidi Weber
7/24/2017 06:15:51 am
In a Twitter Chat recently, Kylene just reaffirmed this... Try "what surprised you?" as a prompt. I have found it extremely effective with my 8-9 year olds because it is open ended and full of possibilities!
Kristin Scherman
7/3/2017 07:29:50 am
As a teacher I find this hard to relate to, as I teach HS high level science. But as a parent, I wish this tool was used more often. I tried hard to get my active reader into a reading gifted program but he missed the "standardized testing" score by 1 point. My frustration is how can we as parents help to further these goals and use these tools when our child is denied the ability to gain entry into programs like Heidi's.
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Jackie Blosser
6/22/2017 10:52:44 am
Reading and Change really focused in on the fact that with Common Core and high stakes testing, teachers across the nation have turned their instruction to extracting information from text and citing the evidence. No fault to teachers since so much weight has been put on test results. This saddens me as I reflect on my beginning years in teaching where testing wasn't the focus and there was no such thing as building and district report cards and teacher evaluation tied to student performance on a test. Teachers at all levels made time to read aloud to students every day, have rich discussion, and had student choice independent reading time. Now I hear so often from teachers that "there isn't time for this" with all they have to teach. As a teacher leader I need to work with others to shift the purpose of reading to exactly what the authors discuss... to sharpen the readers thinking and clarify their emotions. The standards can be taught without losing this. On page 59 this piece "We want them to realize that reading should involve disrupting their thinking, changing their understanding of themselves and the world." will be my message to all 4-12 grade teachers at the beginning of the year in response to "Why do you teach reading?"
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Lisa Frase
6/22/2017 12:46:34 pm
Jackie,
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Miranda Franck
8/13/2017 12:02:59 pm
Jackie,
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Lisa Frase
6/22/2017 12:34:21 pm
This week's reading has me thinking that even though I teach high school students, I should still model and share how reading changes me. Chapter 6 has especially challenged my thinking and made me realize that it is important to have students think about how a text is changing them. On page 70 it says, "And we want to think about how the book makes us feel. We want to think about the lessons we've learned and how we might change as a result of reading the text."
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Heather Barnes
6/23/2017 07:05:01 am
Lisa -
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Amy B
6/23/2017 09:56:49 am
I love the idea of using a book targeted towards student interest to practice how a reader reads. It sounds like a fantastic choice to practice some Disruptive Thinking strategies. I was surprised how I had never thought to ask the parents what they wanted their students to learn from reading like the text discussed on page 57. I had forgotten the vast variety of reasons why people read and just thought of teaching reading is something you do because you do. I have found the text has helped me like you describe reflect on what I am teaching students about reading in my classroom .
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Kate Simons
6/24/2017 09:48:19 pm
Hey Lisa!
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Katy Flynn
7/15/2017 06:01:58 pm
Oh, I'm so in! We have so many students who are amazed that we read anything other than textbooks. I think this would be a great way to encourage students to read more or could provide “passive encouragement” to some of the students we don’t have/students who won’t have these conversations with us/students for whom this could be the conversation starter/etc.
Angie Toole
6/26/2017 11:10:52 am
Lisa,
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Angie Toole
7/27/2017 06:42:14 pm
Thank you so much for The Hate You Give. I had not heard of this book until your post. I got it from the library and could not put it down. What a powerful book!! This book will stay with me for a long time and it was great to use BHH while reading it!
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Amy B
6/23/2017 09:51:59 am
I really enjoyed how in these two chapters the authors explored both ends of the spectrum when it comes to teaching strategies. Someone finally said it, we keep adding strategies teachers must use, “while nothing is ever deleted” (55). When is it okay to agree as a team that some strategies don’t work anymore? How am I supposed to bring into my classroom inventive learning strategies when administration and colleagues expect to see the same strategies in every room? I have found myself more than once in the past school year having to defend my teaching strategies verse more traditional old school techniques with colleagues. Isn’t it okay to sometimes just get rid of the clutter?
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Molly Klodor
7/13/2017 11:37:20 am
Amy, I have the same question regarding responsible reading. I agree that if I encourage my students to think more critically about what they read (whatever that is, even directions), they'll be more responsible in life. But I don't know about heart - I don't think about what I learned about me when I read the news! While I do read for heart some times, I often don't. My best guess about responsible reading is that we read information from multiple perspectives and think carefully before drawing an opinion instead of assuming the author's opinion. Critical thinking is responsible reading to me.
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Jenn Ramage
6/23/2017 01:42:37 pm
I love this book. As someone who is not the most excited about any kind of reading, I find myself very interested, making notes, stopping to think, and consistently engaging in meaningful personal and professional reflections. My favorite line so far is on page 71: "We think raising up those who need help is far more important than raising a test score." Ah, Beers & Probst have successfully captured my school counselor (but still teaching) heart :)
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Megan McCaffrey
6/24/2017 08:35:26 am
I agree that we are constantly encouraged to implement the next best thing when it comes to all the various strategies. After 12 years of teaching I know what works and what doesn't...and if I'm at a PD day and something grabs my attention I'll give it a try...so I'm open to new ideas--but I will not buy into all the "new things" and after 12 years I've seen things come & go and time that has been wasted implementing things only to see them go a few years later. So I'm cautious to put my time & energy into only certain new things!
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Angela Westlake
6/23/2017 02:37:43 pm
In chapter 5, I was so sad to see the decrease in children who read for fun from ages 6 to 17. As a third grade teacher, I really feel that it is my job to create lifelong readers. I think about my own daughter, Emma. Emma is 9 years old and adores reading. She reads during the 40 minutes commute to school each morning and on the 40 minute commute home each evening. She reads for fun in the evenings and weekends. She talks about the books she reads with her friends. While I do hope and believe she'll be in that 14% of high schoolers who read for fun, the thought that only 14 out of 100 kids that age still do so is devastating. I suppose it goes back to the thought that kids need to connect with books and feel changed in order for them to be lifelong readers, which was so wonderfully addressed with BHH in chapter 6.
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Kristin Scherman
7/3/2017 07:27:06 am
This is the part I struggled with too, those graphs on page 57 and the incredible need for reading in the lives of kids as their stresses increase and their free time decreases. I think reading takes on 2 really important roles in the lives of high school kids; 1. stress relief and 2. being able to internalize the information and apply it to social activism and being contributing members of our democracy. I wonder how I can play a role in helping them further these tools in the content I teach (AP biology, microbiology).
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Traci Kennedy-Brockfield
8/3/2017 07:53:07 pm
Knowing Emma, I know she is the exception to the rule. That 14% is so sad, so if we can even get just a handful more each year to love reading for fun, we're making headway.
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Barb Gall
6/29/2017 05:32:06 pm
I agree, and I love the simplicity of book, head, heart. I am going to be cautious however, that my students are not spending a ton of time 'annotating' their reading. At a recent PD with Jen Serravallo, she recommended no more than 2-3 minutes for every 30 minutes of reading. I can just see my reluctant readers spending way too much time 'thinking' and writing about their reading.
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steve murray
6/23/2017 10:45:46 pm
Maybe I am getting too hung up on terms, but I really don't like the concept of asking students how a text "changed" them. I guess for me that assumes some level of self-awareness that many students seem not to have. Having said that I HAVE told students how reading changed me. Most notably for me was when I first really started to study Shakespeare. In my view, there is no emotion or passion or human weakness or human strength that is not on display, brilliantly, in some play by the bard. For example, reading Othello happened for me at a very propitious moment. I was enduring the short end of a bad breakup and I was, shall we say, a bit Moorish in my jealousy. Don't get me wrong, no risk of violence, but the feelings of betrayal, of hurt, of rejection, it was all there and it was all in me. Happily, i remind my kids, time moves on, and I have returned to that play dozens of times and as I have changed, so has te play. Where I once was one "who loved not wisely, but too well," now I am one can understand a bit more dispassionately the "green-eyed monster."
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Jennie Joseph
6/26/2017 07:41:40 pm
Steve -- I'm kind of concerned about this idea of "how it changed them" as well. For one thing, I'm not sure this works for all books -- some quality books don't change even me necessarily. You also bring up a good point...kids aren't this self aware -- feel like something else needs to happen before I can teach this with reading, but I'm just not sure what yet. Something more "real world" or concrete.
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Heidi Weber
7/24/2017 06:20:44 am
Jennie and Steve... Try "what surprised you?" as a prompt as it is more open ended.
Kate Simons
6/24/2017 09:37:14 pm
"Reading and Change" described exactly how I feel when I read a book! I read to let go, lose myself, and enjoy! As the authors described, I also find myself a little lost or "off-kilter" when I finish a book.
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Molly Klodor
8/21/2017 06:20:07 pm
Kate, I love that you're applying this to science so aptly. It can be a challenge to apply these more emotionally based reading ideas to topics that are informational in nature, but when you frame it with social justice and activism, the change is tangible!
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Andrea Conover
6/26/2017 12:25:05 pm
After reading CH 6, I literally cannot wait to implement BHH Reading in my 6th grade classroom this year. I already discuss a lot of these things, but this just gives the kids such an easy framework for how we will look at texts. I love the description they give at the beginning of introducing this framework and how they had to get the language just right. It made me giggle and a little relieved that even they bomb at introducing new strategies sometimes! :)
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Jennie Joseph
6/26/2017 07:47:26 pm
p. 59 Reading to be Changed...so I'm wondering if this is why some kids don't like to read -- they never get to the point where is inflicts a change upon them. Maybe if we find those books to share with non-readers they will become readers. Is this idea of the reader needing to feel change the magical ingredient for loving to read? And is there a list of suggestions we can share or is there a list in the book? I can think of a few, but do I abandon books that kids love, but that I'm not sure would make a student "change" Maybe I'm not understanding this concept, but, for example, my students LOVE the book The False Prince this year, but I wouldn't say that it "changed them" -- it's a great read, but... I feel like I'm missing something because there are some books my kids love and I do too, but wouldn't fit this theory of what kids need to do. What am I missing?
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Kristin Scherman
7/3/2017 07:23:16 am
I also struggle with a way to get my kids to really "connect" with a text we read in class and not just enjoy the text but also have it change the way they think, or at least help them question some of their thinking.
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Barb Gall
6/29/2017 05:22:08 pm
One thing that struck me the most in this chapter was the questions, "Do you think it's important for students to think about how a text is changing them? Do you share with students how reading changes you?" Pg. 71. I always have felt that I discussed what I read with my students and encouraged them to think about their own readings in a similar fashion. However, I don't think I ever discussed how a book has changed me. What a powerful notion! I feel that this may be one of the missing pieces in my classroom that my struggling readers need to hear.
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Kristin Scherman
7/3/2017 07:21:24 am
To be honest, the most influential part of Part II for me was the graph on page 57, the "benefits parents most want their child to get from reading books for fun". So much of what is expected of children is vocabulary based and success in school, but I think the last few bars on the bar graph are the MOST important, relaxation, being inspired, learning coping skills and forgetting about life for a while. I teach yoga, and I find relaxation techniques and ways to escape TREMENDOUSLY important, especially for those high-achieving kids. Most of the students I teach have constant pressure upon them, either by family or even just the expectations they place upon themselves. I am one of those people. Reading is an escape. Why must we put pressure upon kids to read "correctly" and with such purpose all the time. The graph on the bottom of page 57 made me so incredibly sad too, the massive decline of reading for pleasure as the students gets older and as the years go by. I love when the author talks about reading from the head AND the heart so that you retain the contents of the text.
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Bob Long
7/8/2017 04:47:59 pm
Chapter 5
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Kelly Cummings
7/11/2017 08:28:42 pm
My biggest take away from this book so far has been the BHH framework and it's simplicity. I wrote in the margin, "I can do this!" It's one of those things you get excited about because you can easily and quickly put it into your own toolbox and use it daily. You could even teach it to your content teachers to teach. I also like "What's in your head? what's in your heart?" because you can use it with any grade level and any genre. It's so universal.
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Molly Klodor
7/13/2017 11:43:51 am
I don't think all texts are transformative in the traditional sense. As I read the menu at a restaurant, I'm not asking how a text is changing me. But texts do change thinking in small ways (when I'm reading the menu, I decide that something sounds good) and I think acknowledging that changing is important in our classrooms. Next year, I think I'll try to acknowledge when my thoughts change after reading a text or how my opinions have changed after discussing a text. This is dangerous territory, since teachers are so often encouraged to avoid our own opinions, but I'll tread lightly and see how it goes. I think that's the best way to show that I read with heart and hopefully encouraging students to think more critically when reading.
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steve murray
7/25/2017 04:57:04 pm
Might be best if we teachers use lots of "I" statements in modelling how to respond to literature. My students will often laugh when I insist on my reading certain parts of a play, for example Macbeth as the end comes near. But I tell them "Look, I don't get to o this again till next year! If i did this by myself or in a public place no one knew me, that might be a little weird." Then I try to explain to them how much the work means to me and, importantly, how much my perceptions of the work change with each reading and as I get older.
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Katy Flynn
7/15/2017 05:09:30 pm
Reading chapters five and six, I was so happy to read the thought in the intro that we shouldn’t overwhelm the students with strategies, and that teachers are constantly “bombarded with “new””- which is overwhelming for us! We hear quite a bit to try many different things, which always makes me wonder how does that allow for the establishment of expectations and routines with students, if we’re constantly trying new strategies and activities? That being said, there are a number of strategies listed regarding BHH (specifically the “In the book”) that would be interesting to try and that I could use for a number of readings (chapter excerpts, articles, etc.).
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Joan Miller
7/24/2017 07:19:54 pm
Hi Katy- So true about overwhelming with strategies. I always think that we overwhelm kids- I would rather teach like 5 for the whole year that can be used in numerous situations. Then, I'd rather they learn how and when to use them independently. I want to give students support but support that I can gradually take away. I'm also a "in the heart" kind of a girl and we shouldn't be afraid of that. I want to work on supporting this more for my kids this year.
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Traci Kennedy-Brockfield
8/3/2017 07:36:26 pm
I really liked this section, I think because I was a struggling reader myself as a student and even in the 80s it was about answering questions and decoding, never "how has this text changed me?" I never had time to really "think" about the books I read because it took everything in me to make it through them, but I think having conversations about B-H-H can certainly begin to help struggling readers begin to see more purpose and more enjoyment in reading.
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Tara O'Hea
8/4/2017 09:46:53 am
I absolutely loved this section of the book. As an intuitive reader myself, the act of implementing the BHH comes naturally for me. However, I teach student with special needs and this is surely a skill that should be taught, I know we as teachers are often focused on standards and everything they entail. It is important to also implement frameworks such as BHH that will deeply enrich our students' learning and comprehension.
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Miranda Franck
8/13/2017 12:30:25 pm
I loved these chapters as well: reading to change, not just extract information. It reminds us that we need to teach kids to expect change, not just a grade. I love teaching kids to open their eyes and burst their bubble. One of the best ways to do this is mentor texts. It's amazing how often kids will check out a book after I used a passage from it for a lesson.
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