Bev, I hated it when we departmentalized. I can take a student with an interest or affinity for math and hook them into reading, writing, science, and social studies. I know the kid better, and can have richer conversations with them.
Joy/NC/4 How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and content go hand in hand. http://www.responsiveclassroom.org --- On Mon, 11/24/08, Beverlee Paul <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: From: Beverlee Paul <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [Understand] Schedules To: understand@literacyworkshop.org Date: Monday, November 24, 2008, 1:02 PM You know, I'd have to say (in my opinion) that we greatly diminish our possibilities of teaching for understanding when we departmentalize. Maybe that's why, in my entire career, I have NEVER seen any studies that show that departmentalization increases student learning. It is certainly not developmentally appropriate for 3rd or 4th graders. And it goes against all the research about learning and transfer in content integration. I am the technology instructional specialist at my school. I almost became a reading specialist early in my career which is why I have read To Understand and have such a passion for reading. I am seeing that Departmentalization is becoming more prevalent. In my school 3rd, 4th and 5th grades are all departmentalized. I understand that this is easier on a teacher. A teacher can become a MATH specialist and focus on just teaching math. Preparation is much easier. I know it is NOT because teachers are slackers because even so my classroom teacher friends work extremely hard. However, I wonder how CAN anyone really teach anything in depth in the time that you have when you departmentalize? Can't science and social studies be taught in the context of teaching reading and writing or does everything really have to be so separate? It just doesn't seem like things are that separate in the real world. Janice _________________________________________________________________ Color coding for safety: Windows Live Hotmail alerts you to suspicious email. http://windowslive.com/Explore/Hotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_hotmail_acq_safety_112008 _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list Understand@literacyworkshop.org http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list Understand@literacyworkshop.org http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
