Conferring: The Keystone of Reader's Workshop

ISBN-13: 9781571107688 / Angielski / Miękka / 2009 / 232 str.

Patrick Allen

Opis

In professional workshops with teachers over the years, Patrick Allen has encountered a list of "counterfeit beliefs" about the process of conferring with readers, including such comments as: "I don't have time, I don't know what questions to ask, It's too hard, I don't know what to write in my notes, I don't even take notes, I don't know how to go deep..." In Conferring: The Keystone of Reader's Workshop, Patrick maintains that the benefits of conferring are worth the effort of learning to do it well. Then he sets out to reveal how teachers can overcome their perceived obstacles and make the somewhat intangible aspect of conferring with readers tangible. Just as the keystone -- a symmetrical, wedge-shaped stone at the center of an arch -- forms the foundation of a structure, conferring lays the groundwork for effective reading instruction. Allen defines the word confer as a verb "meaning to consult together, compare opinions, or carry on a conversation." Conferences with students are purposeful conversations that scaffold reading comprehension strategies that guide the reader's progress, and ultimately, through the gradual release of responsibility, create independent readers. In this book, teachers will discover the strength, power, and necessity of conferring with readers. Patrick begins by explaining what conferring is and what it's not, and then unpacks the essential components of the conferring process: intimacy (the social context), rigor (the cognitive context), and inquiry (the analytical context). He explores the fundamentals of conferring -- including classroom environment, goal setting, instructional points, listening, rapport, challenges, and teacher learning -- and provides prompts that lead teachers through the reader's conference from start to finish.

Recenzje

"This concise book provides valuable instructional support to all teachers… It is the perfect book for use in developing reading conferences with individual students. Patrick Allen inspires." - Education Review
"Right from the beginning, I knew that this book would become a benchmark text for helping teachers think about children, reading, and thinking. I even found myself nodding my head in agreement as Patrick discussed the importance of knowing your students and developing an intimate classroom environment. Throughout the book, he both validates and stretches your thinking as he leads you, step by step, through the components of effective reading conferences." - Write Brained Teacher blog

Spis treści

Introduction: Why a Keystone?; Part 1: What Brings about a Good Conference, Anyway?; Chapter 1: Counterfeit Beliefs About Conferring; Chapter 2: Conferring Goals and Guiding Principles; Chapter 3: Building the Environment for Conferring— Five Requisite Ashlars; Part 2: What Are the Essential Components of Conferring?; Chapter 4: The RIP Model—Bringing Thoughtful Structure to Our Conferring; Chapter 5: Cultivating Rigor, Nurturing Inquiry, and Developing Intimacy; Part 3: What Emerges From Our Reading Conferences?; Chapter 6: Conferring Walk-Aways; Chapter 7: Conferring Ain't Easy; Conclusion: Adieu

O autorze

Patrick is the youngest of ten children--five boys and five girls. My parents were wonderful role models of literacy and learning, hard work, and humility, he says. His mother was a cook and owned a restaurant, and his father, a bricklayer by trade, helped run the restaurant and served as a night cop in their hometown. I became a teacher because I enjoy learning and spending time with kids. My parents were always learning and encouraged all of us to get our education. From the time I was a little boy, I wanted to teach. Patrick received his bachelor's degree in communications disorders and his graduate certification in elementary education from the University of Northern Colorado. He received his master's degree in curriculum, instruction, and pedagogy with a mathematics and science emphasis from the University of Colorado at Denver. He is currently a teacher at Frontier Valley Elementary School and a staff developer/lab classroom teacher at the Public Education and Business Coalition. He has over twenty years of teaching experience. Patrick is intrigued by the process learners go through as they become thinkers. I love helping children develop their passions. I am always trying to hone my craft and welcome the challenges that professional inquiry brings to my learning and the classroom. He believes that for effective professional development, participants have to understand their own learning process and make professional growth as authentic as possible. Patrick and his wife, Susan, love spending time with their four children: Graham, Anneke, Jens, and Lauryn. He says, My busy family certainly puts parenting to the test, but it's the best test of all!