Comments on: Finding Their Voices http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/12/05/finding-their-voices/ (bôr'dər-lănd') n. Located on or near a frontier. An indeterminate area or condition. Mon, 13 Oct 2008 04:42:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Doug http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/12/05/finding-their-voices/#comment-12424 Doug Thu, 07 Dec 2006 17:42:19 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/12/05/finding-their-voices/#comment-12424 Monica, You're right. She wasn't an expert, and that was part of the problem. But there's something else, too, I think - the kids don't yet understand that it's <em>their</em> knowledge and understanding that we are interested in, rather than the raw subject matter. Somehow they have to come to value and understand their own point of view, and the unique opportunity it affords them to say something that nobody else could say. By the way, I don 't mind you plugging your books - especially if they're useful to me :) Thanks for the feedback and the pointer. I'll check them out. Monica, You’re right. She wasn’t an expert, and that was part of the problem. But there’s something else, too, I think - the kids don’t yet understand that it’s their knowledge and understanding that we are interested in, rather than the raw subject matter. Somehow they have to come to value and understand their own point of view, and the unique opportunity it affords them to say something that nobody else could say.

By the way, I don ‘t mind you plugging your books - especially if they’re useful to me :) Thanks for the feedback and the pointer. I’ll check them out.

]]> By: Monica Edinger http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/12/05/finding-their-voices/#comment-12383 Monica Edinger Thu, 07 Dec 2006 11:11:25 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/12/05/finding-their-voices/#comment-12383 Doug, I've just recently discovered your blog which I'm thrilled about as I teach 4th too and am considering how I might want to (or not) use blogs with my students. As to your student, it struck me that she had not yet become an expert on her topic (Chisholm Trail) so she had to basically copy what someone else said. That is, she didn't yet "own" the topic enough to write it from her heart (whatever voice she used). One big area of interest of mine is the teaching and learning of history. Not to plug them (although I guess I am:), but you might find my books FAR AWAY AND LONG AGO: YOUNG HISTORIANS IN THE CLASSROOM for Stenhouse and SEEKING HISTORY for Heinemann helpful as I write about many projects involving research and writing. I also have written about this on my blog (which is relatively new) and have posted some of my talks on there as well as links to some other articles on the topic. Looking forward to reading more of what you are doing and learning more so that I can better think about my own practice. Thanks! Monica Edinger The Dalton School New York NY edinger@dalton.org monicaedinger@gmail.com my blog, educating alice, at http://medinger.wordpress.com Doug,

I’ve just recently discovered your blog which I’m thrilled about as I teach 4th too and am considering how I might want to (or not) use blogs with my students.

As to your student, it struck me that she had not yet become an expert on her topic (Chisholm Trail) so she had to basically copy what someone else said. That is, she didn’t yet “own” the topic enough to write it from her heart (whatever voice she used). One big area of interest of mine is the teaching and learning of history. Not to plug them (although I guess I am:), but you might find my books FAR AWAY AND LONG AGO: YOUNG HISTORIANS IN THE CLASSROOM for Stenhouse and SEEKING HISTORY for Heinemann helpful as I write about many projects involving research and writing. I also have written about this on my blog (which is relatively new) and have posted some of my talks on there as well as links to some other articles on the topic.

Looking forward to reading more of what you are doing and learning more so that I can better think about my own practice.

Thanks!

Monica Edinger
The Dalton School
New York NY
edinger@dalton.org
monicaedinger@gmail.com
my blog, educating alice, at http://medinger.wordpress.com

]]> By: Sarah Puglisi http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/12/05/finding-their-voices/#comment-12181 Sarah Puglisi Tue, 05 Dec 2006 21:32:11 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/12/05/finding-their-voices/#comment-12181 Altho it's different , not really. developing reasoning ..I liked Reuven Fuerstein...oh spelling issues. He started to talk about "mediated learning" construction of meaning. I really thought he had something incredible, as Moffet does. Altho it’s different , not really. developing reasoning ..I liked Reuven Fuerstein…oh spelling issues. He started to talk about “mediated learning” construction of meaning. I really thought he had something incredible, as Moffet does.

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