Talk About Understanding

Ellin Oliver Keene - I'd never heard of her, but I looked at the description for her session at the International Reading Conference in Chicago on April 30th, and I REALLY wanted to see her.  (She co-authored Mosaic of Thought!) She began talking very quickly and was so animated, I immediately fell in love. She sounded just like ME! However, her session was about s-l-o-w-i-n-g down, listening to others, using particular vernacular, and getting students to understand text better by doing these three things.  (I took copious Evernote notes - if you want them, email me at JoyKirr1@gmail.com and I'll send them.)

Her session was only an hour long, so I had to hurry and purchase her book - Talk About Understanding. What I should have done is hurry and READ her book, but it sat on my dresser for almost a month.  I started reading it yesterday...

Best quote so far -
     To understand deeply is to experience intellectual engagement that itself spawns more voracious learning, which leads to more lasting comprehension.  It's a delicious cycle (Keene, 21).

Yes, go ahead and read it again, looking for that deeper comprehension.  Ah... now you've got it!  I love thinking that our genius hour provides for these opportunities for learning, and wanting to learn more.  What a "delicious cycle"!!

I'm cutting this short today... just wanted to leave you with that quote.  Now I've got to go read chapter 3 - "From the Inside: Integrating strategy instruction and narrative outcomes." I really want to jump to "Part 2: Words that Matter," but feel if I do I might miss something! Part 2 looks like what Ellin Keene talked about at the IRA conference.  Thank you, Ellin!  You inspired all who attended!