Debbie Miller: Institute 1B

ALEA conference committee member Cheryle Bannon writes her thoughts about two sessions with Debbie Miller:

Debbie Miller: Institute 1B
Educator, author and international guest speaker.

Teaching with intention: Creating Cultures of Thinking, Understanding and Independence.

Debbie arrived at the green room and I automatically warmed to her as she asked if we called this a scarf or a pashmina. She is warm and energetic on first meeting.

Current work in classroom-new thinking around comprehension

What efficient readers do/what less efficient readers do/What we can do-guided practice.

Cheryle has pages of detailed notes on the session, no doubt picking up lots of useful and practical tips.

Some of her notes on The Magic Fish:

The Magic fish-end of school year - Thinking strips
Making connections/asking questions/ synthesising information
Thinking bigger-creating mental images-what images do they already have-shared imagery
Building background imagery- shared understanding.
How to scaffold for success-pretty house-castle-etc…how do we envision it
Familiarise/ share/build understanding together.
Importance of first day-rehearsal first, talk and shared understanding
Take a look of your pictures together and talk about it-retelling-thinking strips (see photo)
What is the big idea of the magic fish-looking at purpose
Shared imagery-rehearsal-strip imagery- retelling –a big idea-Thinking strips

Presenters: Debbie Miller

Debbie Miller... educator, author and international presenter will lead a full day Institute, and will also present a Keynote.

Debbie Miller was awesome!! The teachers loved her. The best PD they had ever been to!! Because she has spent 30 years in the classroom and the last few years working with researchers while she has been teaching, her pedagogical knowledge is second to none. Topped with a warm personality she was fabulous. Debbie would talk about a strategy and include what she would say to the children. Her topic was intentional teaching. She brought great texts, and using a document reader she projected the book onto the wall so we could read along with her. She then showed examples of what she had asked the students to do. She showed DVDs of classroom practice but Debbie was the teacher!! How credible is that!! Just what a classroom teacher needs to hear.
Christine Topfer, English/Literacy Facilitator, Tasmania (Primary)

At the end of last year I brought home a book highly recommended by a colleague in my school. ... I then made the ‘light-bulb moment’ connection and realised that the author, Debbie Miller, is one of the plenary speakers at the National conference. That is one session I will NOT be missing.
Robyn English, Assistant Principal, Boroondara Park

Debbie’s books include: Reading with Meaning focuses on how best to teach children strategies for comprehending text. Debbie works through the course of a year to see how her students learn to become thoughtful, independent and strategic readers. She provides a model for creating a climate and culture of thinking and learning. View more here.

In Teaching with Intention, Debbie shares her process for defining beliefs, aligning practice, and taking action to ensure that children are the true beneficiaries of her teaching. From setting up the classroom environment to the intentional use of language, from comprehension instruction to lesson design, Debbie is explicit about what she does and why. At the same time, she encourages teachers to develop their own belief statements concerning teaching and learning. View more here.