Now what?

     I am working to create an environment where thoughtful discourse on important questions is the norm.  I have begun this work by creating a class blog.  The kids have all created their Blogger accounts and as a first attempt at a post, they have posted their book reviews for their September books.  I had the kids label these posts as "reading" and "book review" and if appropriate, as "favorite book."  At this point it is my hope that kids will use this as a resource to find a "good" book.  In addition, I have taught them how to post a "kicker" comment.  For this first round, students have posted a question asking if other kids have read the same book and, if so, what made the book "good" for them.  If children had read one of the books in a post, and liked it, they made a comment to that post explaining what they liked.
     From here I hope to teach my students the four types of posts - kicker, starter, pushback and answer.  I hope to teach them how and when to use them.  I have found that frequently at this age kids simply reiterate what the person before them has said.  I'd like to give them the tools to move the conversation forward.  I will do this by modeling responses and by looking at our own posts to discuss which comments were adding to the conversation.
     I would also like to role play the various behaviors that any kind of conversation can have.  The text book provides resources, but I fear these scenarios as they are written may be too difficult for ten year olds.  I will outline skits or model the behaviors with the kids and we will brainstorm way to redirect the conversation so that all are appropriately involved.  The roles are Silent Suki.  She doesn't participate at all externally - they are too intimidated to join in.  How do you engage the quiet ones?  Ridiculous Rashad dominates the conversation and not in a good way.  He likes to hear himself think and frequently overruns others in the group.  How do you get him to listen as well as he talks?  Remarkable Rebecca is amazing as appropriately leading conversations.  She asks pertinent and leading questions that seem to focus the topic at hand.  Inaccurate Ira is will say anything, even if it's not true.  How do teach others to validate Ira's intent while questioning the validity of his assertions?
 Disagree without being Disagreeable Diego has to be right at all costs.  He sees conversations as a winning/losing proposition.  How do you challenge another's thinking while keeping the focus on cooperative learning?
     I can see that the class blog could be a vehicle for fantastic conversations.  We could discuss topics in science, social studies, junior great books, as well as writing and reading.  I think the possibilities to share thinking and to cooperatively learn are awesome.  Our class blog can be where engaging discourse takes place and where all students are safe and encouraged to share their best thinking.

September - Ted talks

I spent a bit of time reviewing resources on the articles and links site.  I viewed "Dan Meyer: Math class needs a makeover." He argues that the "store bought" math curriculums remove any sort of real problem solving and that math reasoning skills are therefore not being nurtured or cultivated.  He believes that children disengage from the problem because they believe there is a simple formula to apply or an example to copy.  He states that math books provide too much scaffolding and take away any chance at "patient problem solving."  He suggests removing all of the layers that the book provides and encourage kids to join in the conversation and to allow them to define the problem. 

I couldn't agree more.  Although I am a fan of the Everyday Math program I do see a real need for problem solving activities.  The problems that are presented to my students through the text are incredibly simplistic.  Dan Meyer redefines the problems his students encounter by putting them in real life context and by removing all of the given information.  One problem I would have with implementing this type of approach is the time factor.  I don't know how to find anymore time in our day.