ASSIGNMENT SIX: DVD Reflection- Included in your text is a DVD containing video clips of Regie’s conferences with writers in the classroom. There is a detailed commentary accompanying the DVD on page 336 of her text. Please watch the DVD and then look at her teaching notes beginning on page 336 (Regie suggests just watching without notes first so that you don’t miss what she and the students are doing.) After both watching and reading her notes, write your reflection and please post a copy of your DVD Reflection to the blog.
*NOTE: If you experience problems playing the DVD please refer to the Writing Essentials companion website at www.heinemann.com/writingessentials for directions for playing the DVD. Look in the upper right hand corner for the link.
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I was very much looking forward to the DVD from the beginning of the course. I was really wanting to see real experiences of writing being modeled. I had never seen a conference in front of the class. Initially my reaction while reading about that option was somewhat defensive. In defense of the student in the spotlight and in defense of the rest of the students watching on to something that is not engaging to them. After watching examples of student conferences, I still have some of those defensive feelings. I noticed that the students who were in front of the class often looked uncomfortable. I can imagine some of my more introverted students shutting down if we start talking about their mistakes in front of the whole class. I think that this, like all classroom strategies, is going to require much work and preparation on my part to structure these such times in a way that the students feel comfortable and engaged. I can see the steps in my head of introducing the idea slowly, explicit teaching of behavioral expectations of all of the roles involved, trials with strong students who enjoy the spotlight, and lots of positive praise.
ReplyDeleteThe best things I took from watching were the questions she was asking, it was one thing for me to read the questions and know them. It is another entirely different thing to watch the questions being fired away in context. The probing questions seem logical, the praise makes sense, and the lack of focus on error correction keeps the writer in a mood where they can continue to receive advice.
As I was reading the notes I was remembering the video and thinking to myself, “I should watch that again”. I am concerned about the harshness I felt watching the video. Maybe I am interpreting the directness of her approach with harshness. Particularly, when I was watching the whole class conference with Derek I was concerned. My students like directness and firmness, but with a kind and respectful approach, which I like as well. I feel like her words were all hard edges with less of the celebration and keeping the writer intact as compared with the other videos. If I was giving the same lesson with my students, I have several students who would emotionally crumble or shut down. She has valid points though and direct instruction of spelling needs to be made. I also like the idea of using a whole class teachable moment to give a mini-lesson. Often the best mini-lessons I have taught have been initiated by teachable moments where the whole class would benefit from the instruction.
I was very much looking forward to the DVD from the beginning of the course. I was really wanting to see real experiences of writing being modeled. I had never seen a conference in front of the class. Initially my reaction while reading about that option was somewhat defensive. In defense of the student in the spotlight and in defense of the rest of the students watching on to something that is not engaging to them. After watching examples of student conferences, I still have some of those defensive feelings. I noticed that the students who were in front of the class often looked uncomfortable. I can imagine some of my more introverted students shutting down if we start talking about their mistakes in front of the whole class. I think that this, like all classroom strategies, is going to require much work and preparation on my part to structure these such times in a way that the students feel comfortable and engaged. I can see the steps in my head of introducing the idea slowly, explicit teaching of behavioral expectations of all of the roles involved, trials with strong students who enjoy the spotlight, and lots of positive praise.
ReplyDeleteThe best things I took from watching were the questions she was asking, it was one thing for me to read the questions and know them. It is another entirely different thing to watch the questions being fired away in context. The probing questions seem logical, the praise makes sense, and the lack of focus on error correction keeps the writer in a mood where they can continue to receive advice.
As I was reading the notes I was remembering the video and thinking to myself, “I should watch that again”. I am concerned about the harshness I felt watching the video. Maybe I am interpreting the directness of her approach with harshness. Particularly, when I was watching the whole class conference with Derek I was concerned. My students like directness and firmness, but with a kind and respectful approach, which I like as well. I feel like her words were all hard edges with less of the celebration and keeping the writer intact as compared with the other videos. If I was giving the same lesson with my students, I have several students who would emotionally crumble or shut down. She has valid points though and direct instruction of spelling needs to be made. I also like the idea of using a whole class teachable moment to give a mini-lesson. Often the best mini-lessons I have taught have been initiated by teachable moments where the whole class would benefit from the instruction.
Other students have mentioned their discomfort with Derek. It would be really interesting if we could ask Regie about the lesson. :) Glad you had some take-aways from the DVD even with your concerns.
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