Treasure Chest of Thoughts

In a recent post, I discussed the Ladder of Questioning method.  Since then, I have presented a PowerPoint and short story “Marigolds” explaining this to my Pre-AP English 10 students.

Today during Writer’s Notebook time, each student developed sample questions for each level of questioning using John Keat’s poem “A Song About Myself” as a the source.

Now for the fun!  Within each lit circle group, I appointed a discussion director to whom I extended an invitation through Google Docs to share and collaborate on a graphic organizer these three levels of questions.

Not a single moan and groan!

The heavy is now on the discussion director (who had to obtain each club member’s gmail) to quickly invite the other clubbers so that the whole group can go to work.  The discussion director may either invite/share with me or email me this document when the group’s work is completed.

The assignment?  Each club member is to add two questions to each level…and, of course, no question may be repeated.  As soon as the student hits the “save” button, all the other club members will be able to view his/her question selections.  Instantaneous interaction!

Yes, we now have online lit circles…at the convenience of each club member, just as long as each student inputs his/her questions by Monday morning!

I really, really (yes, to be redundant!) like this tool!  Very much, I like this technology!

Diggin’ deeper?  Thinkin’ more critically?  Climbin’ the ladder?

Let’s dig, let’s think, let’s climb to a greater understanding of the texts we are about to read.

First, let’s give credit where credit is due.  The source for this concept is The AP Vertical Teams Guide for English.  For the past two summers, I have attended Pre-AP English training, first a two-day workshop and then a five-day workshop this past summer on the campus of ASU, at which this book served as our mentor text.

How will we utilize this within the classroom?  First,  we will develop questions for each step on the below three-rung ladder about a text that we will read together entitled “Marigolds” by Eugenia Collier. 

Three-Rung Ladder of Questioning

1. Literal Level
   * Factual
   * Address key elements
   Answers found directly in text.
2. Interpretive Level
   * Inferential
   * Motive of author or a character
   * Answers found by following patterns and seeing relationships amongst parts of the text.
3. Experienced-Based Level
   * Connecting
   * Link text to prior knowledge, other texts, or experiences
   * Answers found by testing the ideas of a text against readers’ schema.

Next, we will analyze John Keats’ poem “A Song about Myself.”  You may also find a copy of this poem on our class wiki at Mrs G Info.  Using this poem as our mentor text, your lit circle group will meet online via Google Docs as you share collaboration on a form that I will email the discussion director within your group.

Why are we studying this poem?  Yes, to continue our study of our thematic unit Who Am I?

Then what?  As we read Julius Caesar, each of you will be required to develop questions for each level for each act of the play.  Why?  The development of these skills are not intended to just fill sheets of paper and “kill another tree.”  The reality is this:  these skills will greatly enhance your success in your AP courses, your score on your AP exams, which ultimately will result in your being a step-up on the college ladder of success!

This post may also be found at Writing Right, my Pre-AP English 10 class blog.

I simply love Google Docs, and I have barely even tapped into its potential. 

This is all thanks to Google Docs‘ and the National Writing Project’s co-sponsoring the Letters to the Next President, which required our utlizing a template and sharing/collaborating (student and teacher)…this part has inspired me!  Online lit circles.  A new way to conduct ”group work.”  Unnamed, unthought of potential.  I really like it.  Yes, I love it!

Here’s my plan:

1. Discuss the “Ladders of Questioning.”
2. “Write beside them” and model this format of question layers.
3. Assign groups, log in to Google Docs, and “share” a worksheet where the groups will develop questions online for a text that supports our current theme.  For example, in Pre-AP English 10’s theme of Who Am I?, they will study John Keat’s poem “A Song About Myself” and in English 11’s theme The Bullying Mentality,  Robert Browning’s poem “My Last Duchess.”
4. During the next class, students will share answers online to self-selected questions.
5. Then?  Not sure…yet!

Know of another interesting feature to Google Docs?  Please share!