Reading and Blogging: The Read/Write Web
The sixth graders are wrapping up the first unit in reading class. The great thing is that our conversations about short stories and comprehension are coinciding perfectly with our many discussions about blogging. Each sixth grader is ready to actually WRITE (we know that!), but reading is a huge piece of the blogging puzzle. In our minds, it’s one that is easily overlooked.
In reading class, the sixth graders have been learning about four types of reading comprehension: literal, inferential, evaluative, and appreciative. Although we have been using short stories in class, students understand that reading for greater comprehension does not happen in isolation…whether they’re reading a newspaper, billboard, novel, or blog, sixth graders are taught how to comprehend on a variety of levels. They are expected to CONNECT with the text and dig deep to find greater meaning.
When students read for literal comprehension, they are able to recall key details (who, what, when, where), sequence events, summarize, and recognize the main idea that is stated in the text. While literal comprehension is important, we hope let our sixth graders in on a little secret: there’s so much more out there – there’s exciting stuff under the surface!
In class, we’ve encouraged students to dig deeper into the meaning of the text by making inferences. Students who ask why and how questions are engaging with the text on another (and more exciting) level. As they draw conclusions, predict outcomes, identify cause and effect relationships, compare and contrast, and recognize the implicit main idea, they begin to understand the power of words and the influence of authors.
This, we think, is where blogging comes in. Not only do we want them to read blogs with a careful eye, we want them to explore topics (in their posts) that go beyond the surface. They will be influential authors. Their words will have power. Our sixth graders are beginning to understand what Will Richardson calls “The Read/Write Web.”
September 26th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
I think you can be evaluative with blogging because you can detect a bias in blogs (if the author has one) and you can also say what you do and don’t like-constructive criticism. I would say this is one of the most important ways to comprehend blogs, because a moving post can get you interested and force you to do something about it. It is important to know if it is an issue/event that you like/don’t like so you can leave a comment, so that when others read it, it will have an impact on them. That can change the way others think, and the blogging world can explore different insights and opinions. Luv the post!!
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September 26th, 2007 at 6:20 pm
I think we can use evaluative in blogging because if the writer about something that will happen to him in the future the reader could make a predication on what will happen to the writer. I think evaluative reading is important because the writer might not always finish the post and so the reader will have to again make predications, realize why the writer wrote the post, etc. I also think that the appreciative reading is important in writing blogs because usual you read blogs that you are interested in or in other words you appreciate that blog. But then when you think about all of the reading levels are important in writing and reading a blog and I am going to leave it at that. I can’t wait to Blog!!!
~Simons
September 26th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
I really like how we are expected to connect with the text. I feel great already!
September 26th, 2007 at 6:53 pm
I agree, to truly appreciate a blog you have to to really read it, not just skim it over. Than why not do add your new comprehension skills to other texts? Is a blog really that different than a short story? A way you could use evaluative reading in a blog is you can look at the bio and make connections with the text. For example on the Japan blog I knew that because the writer of the blog was a mother, she might have a different view point than, say a young boy. In a blog you can really make connections between the author and the text. Go 6th grade bloggers!!!
-Emma
September 26th, 2007 at 7:21 pm
Wow – such great insights Callie, Simons, Helen, and Emma…As I was writing the post, I wanted to go on and on about the power of evaluative and appreciative comprehension…I’m glad you took a second to read the blog and think about the question that I posed in the email.
@Callie: You are right on about author’s bias – it’s important to read a blog with your evaluative glasses on. If an author is extremely biased and is writing about a controversial topic, the reader needs to think 1. where do I stand on the issue 2. why do I agree/disagree with what the author is saying
@Simons: You’ve got the point too! Appreciate comprehension is key. As you grow as a blogger, you’ll begin to find blogs that you keep coming back to. It may be the posts, the comments, or even the pictures that you find interesting. It’s essential to find blogs to read that you enjoy – but as Callie said, it’s important to find blogs that challenge you as well.
@Emma: Exactly! In reality, you can apply the same skills that we have been talking about since the start of the year. A blog and a short story are different (in some really cool ways!) but you can dig deeper into the good stuff in both. You can make connections (think text-to-text, text-to-self, text-to-world) with what you’re reading and then respond to the text in a written way.
Excellent work – I am so inspired and impressed by you.
September 26th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
I do think that to truly understand and detect a bias or meaning in a story, newspaper article, blog ect. you have to be able to connect and relate to the text. I loved reading your blog and it made me feel good to read exactly what you think that we are doing.
September 26th, 2007 at 10:57 pm
Ms. Howard,
Well, my good friend Willy was right: You are doing an exemplary job of guiding your students into the world of blogging! I am very impressed with the systemic and thoughtful approach! Equally remarkable are the student comments on Willy’s blog and yours: Their comments unfold and I can just feel the brewing excitement as they yearn to “start blogging”! Wonderful.
Just an FYI: I’m working with some teachers at Lovett who are incorporating blogging in their classrooms (8th and 11th grade). The approach has not been as well staged as your work, and I’m trying very hard to balance their desire to get these classes writing reflective blogs with a more intentional pre-writing approach (that of reading and understanding of the mode of writing). It’s a challenge!
Would love to connect with you–our teachers need to see what you’ve written–they’ll be inspired.
Great work.
Laura Deisley
Middle School Visioning Project/Lovett
Richardson/Beach Powerful Practice for Teachers and Students
September 30th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
I really like our reading unit. I liked how you put one of our units into a blog. Maybe I’ll write a blog about one of our units. I like reading short stories and making judgements about the charactors which I think is evauitive reading. I love reading these blogs. Which 6th grade teachers usually write the blogs. Are we going to read a novel next in reading? If so which one is it going to be? Last week I loved all the quotes. Who ever is writing these blogs are doing a good job
October 4th, 2007 at 10:30 pm
I enjoy what we’ve learned it reading class, and as I kept reading this blog, I kind of was excited and impressed becasue I was just like, “Wow I can’t believe that all of this “stuff” that we’re learning is really going into place.” I’m realizing that people have different ways of comprehending what they read so when you’re blogging you have to be carefull about what you’re putting up in public, because someone can misunderstand what you’re really trying to tell the reader when their comprehending the blog in a different way that you expected them to. I feel proud and more confident now that I know this extra information and I think that is was perfect timing for when we started blogging and the order of blogging we did.- Creeds, assignment, do your own, comment on otheres. I especially think the comment on others was a great help because you’re just like wow there’s a whole lot of variety on what people can write about. And when you’re reading each person’s blog you begin to realize that you’re comprehending the blog in a different one than the one you just read and so on and so forth, which is so cool how it ties in with our reading unit.
*Mariam*