[Understand] More thinking about understanding

[Phyllis Hinerman]

Ever since beginning Ellin's book, I've been thinking deeply about the 6 cognitive systems (is there anyone out there who isn't???).  I've been looking closely at 'thinking' or 'processing' and therefore I've found myself 'assigning' it to one of those systems - usually not out loud - and that has led me to new levels of thinking.  Guess I've been dwelling in these ideas.

Anyway, here are two examples.

First: in the spring I was working with a first grader who was considered at risk of not learning to read in his first grade year.  He had read several books about a family of bears.  The plot of the latest book involved the family looking for a new place to live because Mother Bear had decided their house was too small.  When he finished his first reading of this book he looked at me and said, "They all got something they wanted."  When I asked what he meant he explained, "Well, Baby Bear likes honey and there's honey at this house, Father Bear likes to fish and there's the river, and Mother Bear wanted a bigger house.  So, they all got something they wanted."  

To reach that conclusion he'd drawn on his memory of 2 previous books about this family.  One revolved around Baby Bear's search for honey and the other about Father Bear going fishing.  Before Ellin, I'd have recognized this as insightful thinking, and now I believe he was operating in the pragmatic system (and he was an at-risk first grader).  If I'm on the right track, the pragmatic system became a little more understandable for me.  

The second example happened just this morning at breakfast.  I read the advertised specials on a board at the entrance of the restaurant:  Farmer's breakfast, 2 cokes, 2 eggs, 2 bacon.  It didn't fit, so I reread looking more closely.  And I'm thinking, it wasn't the misspelling that stopped me, after all, 'cokes' is a meaningful word, it was the semantic system - 'coke' didn't fit the context.

So, I'm growing in my belief that if I can understand and use Ellin's cognitive systems, my own teaching will be more focused.  All those indicators and benchmarks developed by the state will make more sense when viewed as part of these cognitive systems.

Am I on the right track?  What do others think?

Phyllis