An Educational Layette for Young Mothers and Fathers

JJ was born while I attended Amarillo College to study vocal performance. My professors agreed to let me bring him to class, rehearsal, and to voice lessons. The week after he was born, I packed up the blue diaper bag: full of the bottles, diapers, clothes, and supplies for the day. I packed a sandwich and Koolaide for my lunch and shoved it where I hoped it wouldn't crush. My backpack, filled with music theory texts, notebooks, piano anthologies, and texts for voice lessons filled a second bag. I think I carried the pink cassette tape recorder of my repertoire as well. The carrier could strap into the yellow Volkswagen Rabbit standard shift car that would putt erratically down Washington Street to the student parking lot outside the AC Arts Complex. 

Parking was not often available in front of the building, so I parked in the distant lot in the residential area. We didn't have a stroller that would hold the carrier or the bags, so I slung the backpack on my back, the diaper bag on one shoulder, and the carrier in the crook of the elbow of the other arm to balance the load. Once we crossed both lots, I  reached the stairs to the Fine Arts Building. I couldn't even see the doors to the entrance. I ducked my head to to heave us up the stairs to the entrance, then to navigate opening the door in the West Texas wind. Up and down the elevator to choir, class, juries, and lessons. 

In music, the classes are all day. You really don't have time to go home. It's one thing after another - even without a newborn. Before lessons with Mila Gibson, I fed JJ his bottle. While burping him over my lap, he projectile vomited sour soy milk all over my jean skirt. Erma Hunt helped me clean the mess off of the black leather settee in the hallway...and from my clothes, shoes, and floor. I think Dr. Roller and the secretary helped too. It was a big mess. Then, I gathered the bags, the carrier, and my wet, sour self down the hall to Mila's office. 

JJ sat in his carrier on the black baby grand. Lydia Gray began the chords for vocalices, vibrating the carrier. JJ's eyes opened wide in surprise, looking my way, as I began soft descending oooo's, "So, fa, mi, re, do." After the first three chord changes, JJ's tiny lips imitated mine, and he began to coo with Lydia's striking notes and my warming soprano voice. Mila's characteristic laughter joined our happy chorus. 

Down the elevator and on to Music Theory with Beverly de la Bretonne. She greeted me at the door, meeting JJ for the first time, and introducing him to the rest of the class. I sat near the door, ready to exit, should he wake from his nap and disturb our study of chord progressions and tonal systems of jazz. At  the time, his muted newborn noises were cacophonous interruptions. I so wanted to continue class, but knew I would not interfere with my classmates learning or my professors' ability to teach. I think I stood outside the door for most of the class, trying to soothe JJ and keeping another ear on the lesson, hands full, and unable to take notes or follow along in the text. Honestly, I think I was more distracted than anyone else. 

JJ and I went to choir with Dr. Nance. Afterward, we sat outside and ate our lunch. Or we hid in the practice rooms for a quick nap. Then we went to juries. We listened to my peers and gave feedback. We sang. Then we climbed the stairs of the choir room to the hallway, the elevator, back across the brick stairs down to the parking lots, loaded the car, made the same way back down Washington, through the chain link fence next to the driveway, up the stoop, and into the living room. Time to study. Time to practice. Time to make dinner. Do laundry. Clean up. Be a submissive wife. Wash the sandwich baggies to reuse. Pack food for husband, me, and JJ for tomorrow. Prepare for night feedings and an early morning. 

After a a time - can't remember how long - the morning feeding came, and I couldn't get out of the bed. The pain was worse than childbirth had been. Weeping to reach my son, I knew something terrible was wrong. I had torn a groin muscle, weakened from childbirth, the load I had been carrying afterward, and the walking and climbing around campus. I could not continue. 

I dropped out. 

The next semester, I returned. Stronger, supported, and with childcare. Our story could have been so different. Thank you Mila, Lydia, Beverly, and Nance. Thank you Mom and Dad. 

How can we support those seeking to improve themselves while living hard lives and navigating difficult choices? Is there an educational layette for young mothers in school? 

Glenda Moore knew when she visited Ukraine that she needed to help. She asked, "What can I do?"  and knew she could bake cakes.  I'm asking, "What can I do?" and challenge others to ask the same. I have a dollar or two. I bet others do too. Dennis Serine and Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart - how do we start a foundation to help young mothers and fathers at AC? 

Schematic, Grounded, and Probable Inference: Which one wins the STAAR chicken dinner?

 

Schematic Inference: When students make schematic inferences to answer questions on standardized assessments, it is problematic. 

Evidence: You see your friend with a broken arm. (concrete evidence) You know your friend plays football. (your personal schema). 

You infer that your friend broke their arm playing football (Schematic, predictive inference.) While it is probable that your friend broke their arm playing football, there is no concrete, text evidence to state that is how he broke his arm. This kind of thinking is not suitable for assessment situations. 

Grounded Inference: When students ground their inferences by interpreting text evidence, they are using a viable strategy for assessment success. 

Evidence: Sammy limped into the sidelines, cradling his crooked wrist against his muddy football jersey.

You infer that Sammy hurt his arm by noticing that he appears to be injured - he limps (interpretation) He also cradles, or protects (interpretation), his wrist. The wrist is crooked. Wrists are not supposed to be crooked (interpretation). 

Probable Inference: Sometimes, students go too far with the inferences. I see this habit with a lot of my gifted students. While the answer may be true, assessments to not favor this kind of thinking because it cannot be justified with the evidence on the page that all readers have access to. 

Evidence: Sammy limped into the sidelines, cradling his crooked wrist against his muddy football jersey. 

You infer that Sammy broke his arm because he slipped in the mud while playing football. 

While it is probable that Sammy slipped on the field, there is no evidence that is what caused the injury.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner? Grounded Inference based on interpreting evidence. 

Memory and Comprehension: Implications for Instruction and Assessment

Scenario: 

A student reads a passage and answers a series of comprehension questions. 

Question: 

What is the intersection of short term memory, working memory, and long term memory? 

Definitions:

Short Term Memory - stuff you think about for a short period of time and then get rid of. 

Working Memory - space in your mind that you use to manipulate, use, or make decisions about information or skills. 

Long Term Memory - stuff you know or remember automatically 

A belief:

Struggling readers often have trouble keeping ideas in their working memory long enough to answer questions, especially complex ones like inference, analysis, or synthesis. 

A Hypothesis: 

Memory types collaborate to support comprehension during reading and decision making after reading to answer questions. Could categorizing comprehension processes by memory type illuminate comprehension instruction and refine strategies students use? 

Think with me: 

What type of memory is used for these comprehension tasks? Sort the ideas using these categories: Short Term, Working, Long Term, Both

paragraph/page numbers/text location

decoding unknown words

decoding known words

determining author's purpose, message, and theme

answer choice a,b,c,d

titles and subheadings

using context to determine meaning of unfamiliar words

using dictionary to determine meaning of unfamiliar words

reading and connecting question elements/parts

reading to develop schema about an unfamiliar topic

connecting background knowledge about a familiar topic

keeping track of characters/details

connecting question elements to text elements

managing text features and characteristics

fluency and prosody

genre awareness

What should we add? 

Initial Thoughts: 

Here's how I began: 

working memory: decoding unknown words; using context to determine meaning of unfamiliar words; using a dictionary to determine meaning of known words; reading to develop schema about an unfamiliar topic; keeping track of characters/details; managing the text features and characteristics; titles and subheadings

both; determining the author's purpose, message, or theme; making inferences; using text evidence; reading and connecting question elements; connecting question elements to text elements; fluency and prosody

long term: decoding known words; meaning of known words; using a dictionary; background knowledge related to topic; genre awareness;

short term: paragraph numbers/question numbers/page numbers/text location; answer choice a,b,c,d;

What corrections should I make? 

Implications: 

More like questions, really. 

How do we help students move fluidly in and out of strategies that match how those memories are used when comprehending? 

What strategies are more adept for each type of comprehension skill or task? 

Would students feel less frustrated if they could pinpoint why they couldn't remember something or find an answer? 

Something like, "Wow. I'm getting lost in all these details. That means my working memory is getting full. I need to think of what might help. I can slow down and reread. I can build knowledge about words and concepts that I am unfamiliar with. I can make annotations or record notes using a graphic organizer. I can sketchnote..." 

Something like, "Dad gummit. I know that I've read about this in Science, but where was that in the passage? That means that I have some background knowledge and need to cross check that information with what is in the text. What do I know about reading informational texts that could help me here? Ah, the headings. That would be a start. What heading might that answer be in?"

Something like, "Hmmm. The author is getting at something important here, but I'm missing it. I understand the topic and the words, but there's more to it than that. That means my knowledge is working and that I comprehend. Now I need to apply understanding to make a decision. When I'm looking for what an author thinks is important, I can't hear their words. So I change my phrasing to emphasize words that I think adds meaning to the sentences. This helps me "hear" the author in my working memory. I visualize what these words portray, a movie in my mind. The emphasis and visualization help me connect the words to the author's meaning more effectively to make a decision about theme and message. I use both my working memory (sense) and meaning making to apply understanding about what this author explains about life. 

Inference Scores Stink. Always. Why?

Yet again inference scores stink. 

From what most people tell me, we are teaching inference this way: 

Take what the text says. 

Add it to your schema. 

Then wave your magic wand and viola - you have an inference. 

Except that's not how it works on the good ole STAAR test.

Reason One: Students use schema to make connections and comprehend the basic text. They absolutely cannot use schema to answer the questions because all answers must be grounded in the text. No personal schema allowed. That wouldn't be fair. 

Reason Two: Students aren't making inferences on STAAR. They are PROVIDED with inferences and must select one based on what the text validates and reject the ones the text can refute. 

When assessed, readers are presented with inferences. To be successful, they must not use personal schema and ground their choices by validating or rejecting the answer choices with specific text evidence.