A question from Tobias in Denmark.
How do you teach more complex matters, like “interpretation”? (The rubric for “interpretation” is, in some parts of the teachers’ community here in Gladsaxe, the “Holy Grail”) – Tobias – Educational Consultant Denmark
An answer.
Interpretation is “making meaning”
I teach it by referring to SOLO relational understanding.
You can make meaning of an idea by relating it to another idea – by connecting or making links. In New Zealand schools, science and English teachers often refer to interpretation as “inference” – asking students “what do you infer?” or “why do you think it is like that?” after observing a scientific phenomenon or when making meaning from a written, oral or visual text.
There are several different strategies or ways for students to relate (link or connect ideas) to make meaning.
For example, we interpret when we:
- order ideas (sequencing)
- group ideas (classifying)
- find similarities and differences (compare and contrast)
- explain how or why (causes)
- explain consequences (effects)
- analyse – explain how and why the parts contribute to the whole (analyse)
This suggests that any SOLO relational verb can play a role in interpretation, which in turn suggests that the HOT and HookED relational maps and rubrics and SOLO hexagons will be useful strategies for interpretation.
| Interpret | SOLO Prestructural | SOLO Unistructural | SOLO Multistructural | SOLO Relational | SOLO Extended abstract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| To link ideas to make meaning. e.g. by putting ideas in order, grouping ideas, find a similarity or difference, finding a cause or a consequence, or finding a part making up the whole | I need help to interpret X | My interpretation makes one relevant link to X. | My interpretation makes several relevant links to X. | ... AND explains these links. | ... AND looks at these links in a new way. e.g. new way – generalise (express an opinion), evaluate, predict, create. |
| Effective Strategies [insert strategies suggested by students and teachers] | SOLO Relational Maps to draft thinking | SOLO Relational Maps to draft thinking | SOLO Relational Maps to draft thinking | SOLO Extended abstract maps to draft thinking |
You interpret when you elaborate an idea/s and explain what it means. This is done through sequencing, classifying, comparing and contrasting, explaining causes, explaining consequences, analysing (part whole).
Once students are familiar with the SOLO Maps and rubrics for relational thinking the expertise will lie in choosing the best relational verb/s to interpret the specific content and context.
Next steps: After students show they are able to make smart choices about “interpretation” using the SOLO Maps for relational academic verbs you can challenge them to make their own interpretation mapping using the three design elements of the HookED SOLO Map.
Rectangle (ms) Speech Bubble(r) Though Bubble (ea)
Why do I post this?
I get asked many questions in the day job. From teachers in client schools in New Zealand and Australia and from teachers I have never met from around the world. I attempt to answer as many as I can each week but the sheer number of requests can overwhelm. It takes a break from the rush of the day job to realise that if I post my answers online I might help more teachers in their attempts to use SOLO with students.
