Dear Heather, It is nice to know there is someone close by having the smae questions I have. I work in the Cajon Valley Union School District out in East County. Where are you?
Oh, and I think I found a book on teaching debates. The short title is "Speak Out". Wendy MacDonald ---- Heather Poland <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > 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 _______________________________________________ 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
