Eight middle school language arts teachers are introduced
in the video. These teachers will appear throughout the
workshop series.
Dr. Judith Langer defines an envisionment as a dynamic
set of thoughts you have about a text including your impressions,
questions, judgments, and predictions. Envisionments constantly
grow and evolve throughout your reading and interaction
with a text.
Even though all students build envisionments in their
daily lives, some of them have trouble applying it to the
reading of literature. But there are ways to encourage this
process in each student-ways to help them become better
readers and better thinkers.
Teachers in a classroom that support this process encourage
students to offer their opinions and raise questions.
There are four hallmarks of an envisionment-building classroom:
Students are treated as life-long envisionment builders.
Teachers assume students can build envisionments, that
they have done it throughout their lives, and can apply
this to the reading of literature.
Questions are at the center of the literary experience.
Students are encouraged to raise their own questions
about the text or their own understandings during class
discussions.
Students and teachers assume that multiple perspectives
are useful. These perspectives are going to enhance
interpretations and help build more complex understandings.
Class time is used to:
develop student understandings.
extend student understandings and interpretations
based on the readings they did at home.
utilize students' initial understandings to start
provocative discussions in class and build richer
interpretations.
Middle school students bring many challenges and strengths
to the literature classroom.
Processes that support envisionment building provide opportunities
for students to develop as life-long critical thinkers and
problem solvers, literate members of society, and individuals
who can gain a sense of vision for what literature might
mean for life and humanity.
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