Certainly obtaining the skill to communicate effectively is what we hope for all of our students-it is a necessary life skill as well as a skill in college and soon the idea of argument will be embraced by common core. What I value about this experience is that I am gaining "cutting edge" knowledge to take back to my districts. They have received so little professional development in the past, that sometimes it is difficult to know where to begin. Sharing in this manner has helped affirm what we are doing as well as given me so many new FRESH ideas to use in those districts as well as my own.
I absolutely agree with you. I think that too much of what I do in class focuses on the answering of simplistic questions to check for understanding. I need to emphasize argument in all areas of my teaching to allow my students to dig deeper into texts and topics. This has certainly given me many ideas as to how to do that.
I am part of the i3 team in my writing project and was asked to participate in this OLE which has been an awesome experience. The reason this is important is because for any student we have to make writing relevant and accessible. Collaborating with other educators allows us to put our heads together and not only come up with new ideas but also practice them so we get an idea of the challenges or tweeks we need to make. As a teacher I love getting new ideas and things to try with my own students but now being a part of this larger team I want to bring strategies to the other teachers that will help them teach their kids.
I was thinking about how important it was for students to experience argument in the way that this OLE has tried to shape. Many students in rural districts are isolated in some ways (and more connected in others). For them to be participants in a conversation among texts is a way of connecting their important experiences and lives to the world outside their community and school. There aren't a lot of positive images of rural students in popular culture, particularly images that show intelligence or academic success. For students to "hold their own" in an academic conversation begins to establish an identity for students that counters the popular images and affords them more choices in their lives.
To be able to craft a powerful argument also helps rural students form a identity of someone who can use language to get something important said or done. I do believe that with expertise in argument comes a degree of agency, of power, for students, which is especially important for the students in the districts that we are working with. More, too, but that's a start.
Argument writing is about so much more than Common Core or any standardized test. The ability to articulate a claim and support it with evidence, to artistically paint the counterclaim and relevant sources in the appropriate light, to leave your audience with the idea that you have indeed made sense and argued intelligently, to have the hope of swaying their decisions, thoughts, and actions - that is the stuff of adult lives.
Particularly, if students plan to go to college, to argue for a claim to be paid by their insurance company, to "sell" themselves to prospective employers or their idea to a board room, they have to be able to craft effective arguments.
Even beyond that, and I don't think I go too far with this, arguing effectively is the basis for social change, for creating the community, the country, the world you want to live in. All students, rural or urban, deserve this same opportunity to participate effectively as citizens.
Appendix A of the CCSS speaks to the role of argument in our lives in the classroom and beyond. We live in a" culture of argument", and the more I learn about argument, the more I want to share with others. I think it's important to note that many teachers in the rural districts lack a knowledge of argument, so our learning here can greatly impact the way that they teach students to approach topics and arguments. I envision using the processes we've experienced in PD with our I3 district in the spring, taking teachers through some of the tasks that have helped build on my knowledge. From the beginning work with curiosity and inquiry, the literature review, annotations, etc. teachers can learn to encourage that argument culture in their classrooms and move into topics beyond the why-we-need-don't-need-school-uniform writing of the past decade. I think that Appendix A quotes Gerald Graff in that we need to teach the "conflicts". Argument can help students tackle those conflicts in meaningful and structured ways.
What I can offer the teachers in my districts is the power of reflection. I use my retirement hours to think deeply about teaching practices; I share my reflections in my professional blog. My latest blog post considered how argument writing has deepened my own thinking. I am constantly considering evidence to craft a claim. Giving structure to my thinking helps me grow in confidence, makes me more willing to let my voice be heard. My classroom teachers don't have time for reflection; I can offer them mine.
I know this is supposed to be about the importance of argument in our districts, but I wanted to comment further on the idea of "standard" English and how that can influence the work we are doing in our districts.
In our work with rural schools, we must be conscious of the unique resources each school’s teachers and students bring to the classroom. We must honor the places from which they come, and one critical component of that “place” is language. Perceptions regarding dialect, pronunciation, grammar, and what constitutes “standard” speech raise cultural and political issues that influence education. The University of Mississippi Writing Project, under the stellar direction of Dr. Ellen Shelton, has formed an i3 "Dream Team" of secondary educators who meet periodically to share ideas and strategies to inform the CRWP work. Our common text for discussion is The Skin We Speak, edited by Lisa Delpit.
From a 2003 book review by Jill Davidson (essentialschools.org):
"Exploring the connections between language, race, identity, and school success, The Skin That We Speak's thirteen essays delve into how speakers of "nonstandard" English —mostly varieties of African-American dialects, or Ebonics —view themselves, how schools have often perpetuated the educational inequities of African American and other children, and how educators can create the best frameworks to honor students' language and identity."
Delpit’s collection is divided into three sections, with essays about (1) language and identity, (2) language in the classroom, and (3) teacher knowledge. According to Delpit, her book’s purpose “is to explore the links between language and identify, between language and political hierarchy, and between language and cultural conflict.”
Something that always bothered me about teaching argument to my students was that they had trouble digging into their topics and finding source material and evidence that were truly compelling. Then, when they found their evidence, they had trouble with how to integrate it into their writing. Even if they integrated it, they had trouble understanding what all of it MEANT. I knew that argument was a cornerstone of their academic careers, and I knew that it just was being glossed over in high school when I started teaching. The emphasis was on rhetoric (which is also important in its own right) rather than on using evidence to support claims (which is hard if you've never done it before or if you're not used to making your own observations, and most students are NOT. They are more interested in the teacher telling them what to think!!) I was hoping that, through this OLE, I could gain some insight into what else I could do to connect my students with what their argument means - and in the process learn how to construct their arguments better than they did before. This OLE has been a wonderful teacher of how to tap into student knowledge and make their arguments matter to them. Thank you!! I am hoping that students in the rural districts will also find this passion so that their arguments will mean something to them, too. It is so easy to get caught up in the mentality that someone else knows what is best for you, so you just go along with it. Teaching argument in this way can empower these students to have the voice they were always looking for, and didn't know they had. And I think this is also the best hope that writing argument can play in their lives - and in ours, too.
The exploration of argument can be for rural students a way to connect to the world around them. Learning to make an argument can reinforce the idea that these students have a voice in the world, and the research itself can open up all kinds of new information and thinking. Argument has its own language, involving rich texts (and technology) that can be engaging for students. I've learned so much in this OLE that I can't wait to take back to teachers in my i3 districts. One of the most valuable things I've learned is how to make this process more student-driven and engaging for them.
As we've grown acquainted with our district, we have at times encountered an idea that these students "can't" or they just "won't." Sometimes this attitude comes from the students themselves, sometimes from their teachers, sometimes from their parents, sometimes from their administrators. I feel a great responsibility to these students and teachers. I need to provide the best professional development that I can so that our district teachers can help these students to engage in the world beyond their county borders. Developing their abilities in writing and argument empowers them. They may not see the relevance of a classic text (though I certainly aim to show them) but argument in the classroom is one thing we do with immediate relevance to their world and their chance to participate in it. Academic success in argument convinces them that they CAN participate in conversations of weight and significance. (I'm on a soapbox instead of writing coherently anyway...so it might be good that Tom is cutting me off here!)
I am getting to revise as my post has disappeared! :) I will say that it is very important for the students to learn to both recognize and formulate strong arguments. This is an imperative for a continuing democracy, so knowing how to do this becomes a life-long skill and benefit. In learning about argument writing students are less gullible to bias and opinion and will more likely demand factually based arguments. Thanks, Tom, for this great class and the guidance you have extended to our PD efforts! Marty
I am getting to revise as my post has disappeared! :) I will say that it is very important for the students to learn to both recognize and formulate strong arguments. This is an imperative for a continuing democracy, so knowing how to do this becomes a life-long skill and benefit. In learning about argument writing students are less gullible to bias and opinion and will more likely demand factually based arguments. Thanks, Tom, for this great class and the guidance you have extended to our PD efforts! Marty
Certainly obtaining the skill to communicate effectively is what we hope for all of our students-it is a necessary life skill as well as a skill in college and soon the idea of argument will be embraced by common core. What I value about this experience is that I am gaining "cutting edge" knowledge to take back to my districts. They have received so little professional development in the past, that sometimes it is difficult to know where to begin. Sharing in this manner has helped affirm what we are doing as well as given me so many new FRESH ideas to use in those districts as well as my own.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with you.
DeleteI think that too much of what I do in class focuses on the answering of simplistic questions to check for understanding. I need to emphasize argument in all areas of my teaching to allow my students to dig deeper into texts and topics. This has certainly given me many ideas as to how to do that.
I am part of the i3 team in my writing project and was asked to participate in this OLE which has been an awesome experience. The reason this is important is because for any student we have to make writing relevant and accessible. Collaborating with other educators allows us to put our heads together and not only come up with new ideas but also practice them so we get an idea of the challenges or tweeks we need to make. As a teacher I love getting new ideas and things to try with my own students but now being a part of this larger team I want to bring strategies to the other teachers that will help them teach their kids.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about how important it was for students to experience argument in the way that this OLE has tried to shape. Many students in rural districts are isolated in some ways (and more connected in others). For them to be participants in a conversation among texts is a way of connecting their important experiences and lives to the world outside their community and school. There aren't a lot of positive images of rural students in popular culture, particularly images that show intelligence or academic success. For students to "hold their own" in an academic conversation begins to establish an identity for students that counters the popular images and affords them more choices in their lives.
ReplyDeleteTo be able to craft a powerful argument also helps rural students form a identity of someone who can use language to get something important said or done. I do believe that with expertise in argument comes a degree of agency, of power, for students, which is especially important for the students in the districts that we are working with. More, too, but that's a start.
Argument writing is about so much more than Common Core or any standardized test. The ability to articulate a claim and support it with evidence, to artistically paint the counterclaim and relevant sources in the appropriate light, to leave your audience with the idea that you have indeed made sense and argued intelligently, to have the hope of swaying their decisions, thoughts, and actions - that is the stuff of adult lives.
ReplyDeleteParticularly, if students plan to go to college, to argue for a claim to be paid by their insurance company, to "sell" themselves to prospective employers or their idea to a board room, they have to be able to craft effective arguments.
Even beyond that, and I don't think I go too far with this, arguing effectively is the basis for social change, for creating the community, the country, the world you want to live in. All students, rural or urban, deserve this same opportunity to participate effectively as citizens.
Love this-love the idea about social change
DeleteAppendix A of the CCSS speaks to the role of argument in our lives in the classroom and beyond. We live in a" culture of argument", and the more I learn about argument, the more I want to share with others. I think it's important to note that many teachers in the rural districts lack a knowledge of argument, so our learning here can greatly impact the way that they teach students to approach topics and arguments. I envision using the processes we've experienced in PD with our I3 district in the spring, taking teachers through some of the tasks that have helped build on my knowledge. From the beginning work with curiosity and inquiry, the literature review, annotations, etc. teachers can learn to encourage that argument culture in their classrooms and move into topics beyond the why-we-need-don't-need-school-uniform writing of the past decade. I think that Appendix A quotes Gerald Graff in that we need to teach the "conflicts". Argument can help students tackle those conflicts in meaningful and structured ways.
ReplyDeleteWhat I can offer the teachers in my districts is the power of reflection. I use my retirement hours to think deeply about teaching practices; I share my reflections in my professional blog. My latest blog post considered how argument writing has deepened my own thinking. I am constantly considering evidence to craft a claim. Giving structure to my thinking helps me grow in confidence, makes me more willing to let my voice be heard. My classroom teachers don't have time for reflection; I can offer them mine.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the link to you blog? I would love to subscribe.
Deletecappelteacher.blogpost.com
DeleteI know this is supposed to be about the importance of argument in our districts, but I wanted to comment further on the idea of "standard" English and how that can influence the work we are doing in our districts.
ReplyDeleteIn our work with rural schools, we must be conscious of the unique resources each school’s teachers and students bring to the classroom. We must honor the places from which they come, and one critical component of that “place” is language. Perceptions regarding dialect, pronunciation, grammar, and what constitutes “standard” speech raise cultural and political issues that influence education. The University of Mississippi Writing Project, under the stellar direction of Dr. Ellen Shelton, has formed an i3 "Dream Team" of secondary educators who meet periodically to share ideas and strategies to inform the CRWP work. Our common text for discussion is The Skin We Speak, edited by Lisa Delpit.
From a 2003 book review by Jill Davidson (essentialschools.org):
"Exploring the connections between language, race, identity, and school success,
The Skin That We Speak's thirteen essays delve into how speakers of "nonstandard" English —mostly varieties of African-American dialects, or Ebonics —view themselves, how schools have often perpetuated the educational inequities of African American and other children, and how educators can create the best frameworks to honor students' language and identity."
Delpit’s collection is divided into three sections, with essays about (1) language and identity, (2) language in the classroom, and (3) teacher knowledge. According to Delpit, her book’s purpose “is to explore the links between language and identify, between language and political hierarchy, and between language and cultural conflict.”
I highly recommend this text!
Something that always bothered me about teaching argument to my students was that they had trouble digging into their topics and finding source material and evidence that were truly compelling. Then, when they found their evidence, they had trouble with how to integrate it into their writing. Even if they integrated it, they had trouble understanding what all of it MEANT. I knew that argument was a cornerstone of their academic careers, and I knew that it just was being glossed over in high school when I started teaching. The emphasis was on rhetoric (which is also important in its own right) rather than on using evidence to support claims (which is hard if you've never done it before or if you're not used to making your own observations, and most students are NOT. They are more interested in the teacher telling them what to think!!) I was hoping that, through this OLE, I could gain some insight into what else I could do to connect my students with what their argument means - and in the process learn how to construct their arguments better than they did before. This OLE has been a wonderful teacher of how to tap into student knowledge and make their arguments matter to them. Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteI am hoping that students in the rural districts will also find this passion so that their arguments will mean something to them, too. It is so easy to get caught up in the mentality that someone else knows what is best for you, so you just go along with it. Teaching argument in this way can empower these students to have the voice they were always looking for, and didn't know they had. And I think this is also the best hope that writing argument can play in their lives - and in ours, too.
I love the idea of empowerment. Great.
DeleteThe exploration of argument can be for rural students a way to connect to the world around them. Learning to make an argument can reinforce the idea that these students have a voice in the world, and the research itself can open up all kinds of new information and thinking. Argument has its own language, involving rich texts (and technology) that can be engaging for students. I've learned so much in this OLE that I can't wait to take back to teachers in my i3 districts. One of the most valuable things I've learned is how to make this process more student-driven and engaging for them.
ReplyDeleteAs we've grown acquainted with our district, we have at times encountered an idea that these students "can't" or they just "won't." Sometimes this attitude comes from the students themselves, sometimes from their teachers, sometimes from their parents, sometimes from their administrators. I feel a great responsibility to these students and teachers. I need to provide the best professional development that I can so that our district teachers can help these students to engage in the world beyond their county borders. Developing their abilities in writing and argument empowers them. They may not see the relevance of a classic text (though I certainly aim to show them) but argument in the classroom is one thing we do with immediate relevance to their world and their chance to participate in it. Academic success in argument convinces them that they CAN participate in conversations of weight and significance. (I'm on a soapbox instead of writing coherently anyway...so it might be good that Tom is cutting me off here!)
ReplyDeleteI am getting to revise as my post has disappeared! :) I will say that it is very important for the students to learn to both recognize and formulate strong arguments. This is an imperative for a continuing democracy, so knowing how to do this becomes a life-long skill and benefit. In learning about argument writing students are less gullible to bias and opinion and will more likely demand factually based arguments. Thanks, Tom, for this great class and the guidance you have extended to our PD efforts! Marty
ReplyDeleteI am getting to revise as my post has disappeared! :) I will say that it is very important for the students to learn to both recognize and formulate strong arguments. This is an imperative for a continuing democracy, so knowing how to do this becomes a life-long skill and benefit. In learning about argument writing students are less gullible to bias and opinion and will more likely demand factually based arguments. Thanks, Tom, for this great class and the guidance you have extended to our PD efforts! Marty
ReplyDelete