macwendy: I am also in San Diego! What school district do you work in? I was discussing this issue the other day with a friend/collegue. Right now, I am a literacy coach and am focused on 2 classes of struggling readers. We are trying to get them to do work independently, because up till now they have been spoon fed so much. I think there is a delicate balance between modeling so much and allowing that gradual release of responsibility. I think it is a tricky thing to do, and as I think more about it, I think teachers need practice and support in this area. I have seen teachers give everything to students, but I have also seen the other end where they do not do any modeling at all. I think it is something that is difficult, and has to constantly be assessed: should I model some more? Maybe a small group needs more modeling but the rest of the class can do it independently, etc.
On 1/27/07, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > It has been a while since I have written but I do have some thoughts and a > question or two. > > I am teaching English to 7th graders in San Diego. I have three Honors > Classes (Proficient and Advanced) and two Basic English (Basic, Below, Far > Below, ELD and Resource). All of my classes read, write, and discuss. We > use graphic organizers, group discussions, essays, debates (more on the > debates). Naturally, I format a different style / strategy for the two > different classes. However, as high as my Honors students are in critical > thinking and writing; as much as I help and aid my Basic Classes, when it > comes to the Assessments they have a difficult time doing well on their own, > independently. Am I doing them a disservice by discussing and teaching > literary skills to the point that they cannot do it very well on their own?? > > Debates - I am for a resource book of step by step lessons and activities > that would help me to teach my Honors Classes how to debate. I think it > would help them when they have to write the District Persuasive Essay in the > Spring. > > Thanks to all of your advice. > > Mrs. Mac > > > > > > > > > ---- Bill IVEY <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hi! > > > > I seem to have a knack for scheduling these discussions to start when my > > son's athletic life requires me to drive many hours to cheer the team on > > at far-distant away games (particularly ironic today because he has a > > badly strained calf muscle and can't even play!). So while I'm off to > > central New Hampshire, here are a few thoughts and questions to get > things > > started. > > > > First, I feel as though any discussion of literacy has to, at some point > > in time, discuss what literacy actually means. The article brings up > these > > factors (page 5): > > - including purposeful social and cognitive processes > > - helps individual discover ideas and make meaning > > - enables functions such an analysis, synthesis, organization, and > > evaluation > > - fosters the expression of ideas and opinions > > - extends to understanding how test are created and how meanings > are > > conveyed by various media > > - builds on, but is not limited to, phonemic awareness and word > > recognition > > What are your thoughts and reactions on these points - straight-on > > accurate, besides the point, good but incomplete, all of the above!? > > > > Secondly, I find myself focusing on the specific strategies for > adolescent > > literacy outlined on pages 6-7 and focusing on: > > - motivation > > - comprehension > > - critical thinking > > - assessment > > Again, what are your thoughts and reactions here? Where are your schools > > particularly successful? Where do your schools need to be strengthened? > > Are there other specific areas of strategies to promote adolescent > > literacy which your schools are doing well and which aren't mentioned in > > this article? > > > > Thirdly, of course, if you have a burning question of your own, please > > don't hesitate to ask it! > > > > As a reminder, the article is entitled "NCTE Principles of Adolescent > > Literacy Reform" and is a .pdf file downloadable at: > > http://www.ncte.org/middle > > > > See you this evening... > > > > Take care, > > Bill Ivey > > Stoneleigh-Burnham School > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > > > _______________________________________________ > The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive > -- - Heather "The world of books is the most remarkable creation of man. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments fall; nations perish; civilizations grow old and die out; new races build others. But in the world of books are volumes that have seen this happen again and again and yet live on. Still young, still as fresh as the day they were written, still telling men's hearts of the hearts of men centuries dead." --Clarence Day "While the rhetoric is highly effective, remarkably little good evidence exists that there's any educational substance behind the accountability and testing movement." —Peter Sacks, Standardized Minds "When our children fail competency tests the schools lose funding. When our missiles fail tests, we increase funding. " —Dennis Kucinich, Democratic Presidential Candidate _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
