CSI Online is now being used in schools in New Zealand, Australia, Samoa, and the United Kingdom. Here are some of the quotes from this year.
WHAT IT’S LIKE GETTING STARTED
THE COMPONENTS OF CSI
THE CSI VIDEOS & GOOD MODELLING
THE EMAIL TUTORIAL ATTACHMENTS
WHAT THE TEACHERS SAY
WHAT THE STUDENTS SAY
THE HANDY RESOURCES ACTIVITIES
CSI IS FOR ESOL & TEACHER AIDES
CSI’S CONNECTION TO OTHER SUBJECTS
THE ALTERNATIVES – WHAT TEACHERS ARE DOING WITH CSI
WHAT ITS LIKE GETTING STARTED
1. Great reminders about setup of a classroom programme - Paparoa Street
2. Great - reminded me of the necessity to set up the infrastructure to ensure success!! – Ohoka
3. It was good to be reminded that there is no rush to get my reading programme up and running
in the first week. Parent's here expect books home etc but the argument for setting up
routines to make the rest of the year more productive is a lot stronger - Ohoka
4. I have been working with a group of 14 weak readers from grade 3/4. We have been doing
whole class "I think that means...." for a few weeks now. Doing it with both narratives and
information texts. Surprised how quickly and clearly it exposed chn with poor
comprehension/better comprehension skills.
5. When we first began, the children were just repeating back the sentence when they went ' I
think that means...' I modelled a couple of examples and the more they heard other children
practice the more they improved. I think it was great to do altogether as a class because
those children in the lower groups, got to see children (who perhaps understood how to do
this better) answer - it was good modelling for them.
6. Am still working on I think that means and finding this is finally happening without prompting!!
Yay success taken a while for them to get but there now so will look at next step videos again
next week. Thanks
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THE COMPONENTS OF CSI
1. The email tutorials are clear and a quick easy read. This weekly prompt works for me. I am
looking forward to what comes next.
2. Parts about the sliding card to the top when finished were particularly useful. Great
refreshment on how to implement the basic nuts and bolts. - Ohoka
3. Previous reading experiences may not have been so "interactive" but this all suits my teaching
style down to the ground and has been easy to incorporate into my programme. And they
REALLY LIKED "I think It Means"
4. I found the use of the cards to isolate the sentences particularly interesting coming from a
background of believing in NOT doing that in order to encourage "reading on". I like the idea of
bringing in the focus more tightly, and have been trialling it with my reading group.
5. Debbie and I have viewed Stage 3 video clips and Stage 4 video clips. We realise that it very
important to establish those foundations before moving onto the deep 5.
6. Very good point about encouraging independent problem solving: “Let them listen to each
other and decide for themselves otherwise they will be forever relying on you to tell them
whether it is right or not. Prompt them to use strategies and model yourself but that is all.”
- Perth Primary
7. I am enjoying the gradual unlocking of the process and am feeling more and , more confident
with the process – Paparoa Street
8. Anything that encourages getting right into the meaning of the text and away from silent
reading as a teaching technique is good.
9. I like the cover cards!; and the use of phrases like expanding the words – St Bernadettes
10. I don’t mind the music. I can have a wee jiggle in my seat as it loads! – Woodend
11. Loved the analogy with the road crossing. - Woodend
12. Fantastic, love the focus each week as it keeps you goal setting and on task!!! – Woodend
13. Like the point about not feeling pressured to move on through the tutorials until the chn have
had sufficient practice
14. I needed to be reminded that not all students will be fluent yet. Great to see how the story
web is built using ITTM etc These comments will be very helpful as I aim for consistency with
each group "Is there anything else to unpack?" "Are there any other strategies you could
use here?" I will be putting these onto my own teacher cover card. Also .... 'You should not
be questioning about content' - I really needed this reminder - Paparoa Street
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THE CSI VIDEOS / GOOD MODELLING IS GREAT TO SEE
1. The videos provide a fantastic model. I really enjoy the discussion that follows as many of my
questions are answered. I am finding the programme fantastic and had one of more reluctant
readers say,"That was awesome, I really got it!"
2. Great to be able to watch someone else in action and to pick up new ideas.
3. I love to see things modelled. Great to hear you explain . eg. Why you helped. Why you
accepted the girl repeating the same response in different ways - Paparoa Street
4. I found it useful to be watching the lesson actually happening rather than just reading what to
do it’s great to see it actually happening in a real context. – Woodend
5. While waiting for the clip to load the tips on the movie was valuable to reinforce main
wording / method
6. Good to see the teacher interacting with the kids, definitely learning great group work ideas –
Paparoa Street
7. Always useful to watch a teacher modelling, it brings the theory to life and good to see teacher
responses - Ohoka
8. They actually allow you to see yourself in front of your own class and for myself, is so much
more interesting than say reading a booklet of how to apply the strategy – Paparoa Street
9. I like the explanation videos too. I think they will be excellent for beginning teachers or those
new to guided reading and really getting them to involve deep thinking in the reading process
(as opposed to "reading around the circle" as a guided reading technique!!!)
10. It has been really helpful for me to go back and re-watch the stage 4 video, each time i've
watched it i've spotted some more things I or the kids could be doing! – Ohoka
11. I like being able to see the process being used with a real teaching group - it helps me to
visualise how I can use it in my classroom. We watched the I Think It means videos with the
whole staff and I spoke about how it was going in my class. Now the Boss wants to come
over and watch a session in progress.
12. Good to be able to go back and watch the clips again when you want to clarify something.
The dialogue between Hilton and Brian helps to explain what you have seen from Hilton’s
perspective.”
13. 13. Seeing the progressions of the strategies in action and the children using them has been
useful. Having the spoken texts beside the video clips is very useful to help us keep
focussed on the important points. We thought the use of colour coding of the deep 5 cards
in your modelling, was a good idea and one we will use in our classes.
14.
Fantastic model given. I really enjoy the discussion that follows as many of my questions
are answered.
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THE EMAIL TUTORIAL ATTACHMENTS
1. I thought the examples of the planning were very worthwhile - For our school it has all the
key ingredients we would be looking for in a teachers planning. the record collection along with
the anecdotal notes is something that we have been working on and to see it coming in to the
school from another source is great as it shows our teachers that it is not just us wanting to
see these things!! – Adrienne S
2. Useful to be able to print out ideas that I can apply to a variety of texts. I am currently
working on developing independence with my class group so that I can spend some more time
on focussed small group work. Deborah Atkins – Perth Primary
3. Also; I like the 'contents' type list on the first page of the attachment - will be very helpful in
quickly locating the appropriate material for the reading stages of the children - Perth Primary
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THE HANDY RESOURCES ACTIVITIES
1. I have planned my group programme using the handy resources activities (which I am using
for the first time and am quite impressed with how easy they are to work with) and am set to
launch into group work whole-heartedly this coming week. My aim will be to use the cover
cards and use 'ITTM' with groups megan b Paparoa
2. Using I think that means as a class proved most useful. Interesting to see the level of thinking
the students do. They had no problem using the statement. Texts you chose to include gave
good development of difficulty – Paparoa Street
3. I like the idea of continuing to practice with the photocopied texts. – Woodend
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1. I just would really like to let you both know that this is by FAR the most FUN I've ever had working with reading groups. I am thoroughly enjoying working with each group. The CSI strategy is so powerful and really gives ALL students the feeling of success. Both my low end and high end groups are enthusiastic and itching to give the "I think that means...." a go.
2. I know it is still early days, and my opinion may change, but I do truly believe that this is a winner! I'm writing this because I really do believe that this is something that is going to make a difference in my classroom over the course of the year. – Paparoa Street
3. Debbie and I will continue to view the clip together and review these. It’s great to bounce ideas off each other, just like the children working in pairs because we don't feel as threatened.
4. The videos are grouse, provided good modelling for my lessons
5. I particularly like Deep 5...I know that because, because it makes it hard for them to just exactly re tell the sentence. It almost enforces re wording.
6. I have enjoyed your explanation about inferencing and this has helped me make connections about all the other things i have been told in recent professional development which is great,
7. 7. A bit different from the usual vocab approach...look up these words in the dictionary and
retelling the chapter in your own words!
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WHAT THE STUDENTS SAY
1. So far the responses from my group have been extremely positive. They enjoyed the "I think it means" technique and would happily analyse sentences to death if I let them.
2. I am finding the programme fantastic and had reluctant readers say,"That was awesome, I really got it!" - Paparoa Street
3. I asked some of the students in my group about using the Deep 5...we started yesterday, and this is what they said........
· I think it helps me a lot with my reading and it makes it more interesting. It takes longer but it
helps improve my reading.
It helps you understand the story a bit more because it might a be a bit hard to understand
the story for some people.
It's good and you learn more about the story.
I like it. i think it is quite easy . It has helped me a little bit by getting me to understand
what everything means in the piece.
I really like the thinking about the faces and what they are doing in my head. Actually I just
like the whole thing really.
4. “The kids so love this approach to reading. I have ones who previously were very switched off and wouldn't say anything in the reading group now ‘busting a gut’ to have a go at ITTM. And they are right into post reading activities mainly because they really get the text - they understand what it is all about. They are talking to each other about what they are doing and wanting to show me their work all the time. As you have said, obviously they weren’t unpacking the text properly before.” - NZGSE Intern
5. We have just finished our parent teacher conferences and it was really exciting for me to hear that the students are talking about ³I think That means² at home and even doing it with their parents when they are doing their home reading. – Woodend
6. The children in my class are really enjoying using "I think that means..." One particular child in my class who dislikes school and has a very negative attitude towards everything we usually do at school is really positive and enthusiastic about the reading activities and is excelling at using I think that means. Clevedon Primary
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1. I have started using the procedures one to one with a struggling reader. No feedback at present except to say that it is really forcing him into the text and demanding engagement rather than just word barking and making wild comprehension guesses. – Lance Kelly ohoka
2. I also got the TA to watch the I Think It Means video and explanation and she is now using it with the reading group she has...these are struggling grade 3 readers....but she reports an excellent response...they were much keener to offer ideas within the safey of the new structure. The TA had NO difficulty picking up the concept and applying it. Karen Dick perth
3. All the information is very helpful. Have been working with a teacher aide as she works with students on "I think that means..." They are more reluctant readers who need extra help and are working hard to gain meaning. She is finding that they sometimes need a little more discussion to get the point of understanding rather than just repeat what is in the sentence. – Woodend
4. I have shown the videos to our ESOL Teacher Aide. She is using it with both ESOL groups that go out of my class. She is reporting that it seems to help these children and that they have a better understanding of the passages/ books read.
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1. We are about to start an inquiry so it will be a useful tool when we research our questions and try to understand the information we uncover.
2. Currently i am also looking at non-fiction text so instead of using the story webs children are bullet pointing the keywords. This is helpful in making a connection between reading researching, which is great! Megan blatch woodend
3. Student teacher has begun group teaching of I think that means with one reading group and as part of explanation writing. We are at present doing inquiry research for reading so other groups have not had opportunity for group teaching yet. Interesting to note that children feel quite comfortable using I think that means across the curriculum.
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1. " I know that because ..." before camp took over our lives .... we found it powerful in encouraging the students to draw from their own knowledge .... it also encouraged discussion .... we have a discussion format where the students say "In my opinion ..., I think this because ..., Another reason is ..." those who disagree say "I do not agree with that because .... " or "I cannot support that view because ...". Using text in this way has led to animated and thoughtful discussion. – Paparoa Street.
2. I have been finding when I'm modelling i have started to use the deep 5 and the kids try to do it as well - retested class for probe this week -all have gone up with their comp by at least 6mths so that is encouraging!