A couple of years ago I saw the sisters, Gail Boushey and Joan Moser, present at the New York State Reading Association conference. They shared many great ideas and teaching strategies that day, but the thing that stuck with me most is a story that they told about a chance encounter they had with the late Donald Graves at a conference years before.
As I recall the story, Gail and Joan were lingering in a hallway when Donald Graves stopped nearby to take a drink from a water fountain. As starstruck literacy groupies, Joan nudged Gail and Gail nudged Joan to confirm that they were indeed in the presence of literacy greatness. Throwing caution to the wind, they decided to seize the moment and strike up a conversation. With the niceties out of the way, the question that they asked Donald was this: So, what are you on about these days?
While I don’t recall Donald’s response (in fact, I can’t guarantee that I’ve got these details exactly right, either), that question has always stuck with me. People who commit themselves to learning are always “on about” something. For example, Jan and I are constantly talking about unraveling the mysteries of children’s reading processes. We wonder if interventions and explicit strategy instruction are the best ways to address poor comprehension and decoding. Are we missing a part of the big picture? And if so, what is it and what are the better ways to address it?
Being “on about” stuff is what drives our curiosity. It’s what nudges us to stretch and unearth stones that might have otherwise been left unturned. It’s what causes us to read new things and talk to new people. Lifelong learners are always “on about” something which leads me to ask you: What are you on about?
Streamlining record keeping so I can spend more time creating interesting lessons for my kids.
Hi Jan,
I loved today’s post because it is true. Lifelong learners are always on about something; thus, my response. As informational text is a huge part of common core (as it should be), my concern is that we supply kids with information that will help them lead happy and healthy lives.
As a high school reading specialist, I try to veer from the “news” that they see at home. I search out health, space and financial topics that will catch them and hopefully, lead them to change their lives for the better. I search out information that affects them personally. I pose that educators go beyond the most recent “sensationalized” video or report and really delve into the truth about the food we eat or the chemicals that kids are slathering on their bodies. As with all of the previous “educational reforms,” it is up to us as teachers to truly help our students take responsiblity for their learning and their lives. They need to be introduced to true information and not just the sound bites that the media throws our way. They are aware of so much more than we could even imagine and they need to know that we value truth also. One such topic that my students have read about and researched are GMOs (genetically modified organisms) that most Americans are consuming on a daily basis. Most people are totally ignorant that they are eating this type of food throughout the day and that studies are showing that it is extremely toxic to people and the environment. My students have written research papers and are getting involved in GMOFREENY to pass a law that labels these foods. I have introduced body care and how they are apply 15-17 cancerous chemicals on their bodies daily. Most of my students received a 2 or 1 on the ELA but they apply themselves to these articles because it affects them personally. It also makes them mad that they are not aware and that companies don’t care. They feel victimized at first and then we discuss ways that they can empower themselves and others. They get active and read more to find out how to make changes in the world we live in.
I hope that I didn’t veer to off course but I feel we have a responsibility to become informed about the issues that affect all of us so we can help our students become informed and read between the lines.