I think Lori said it very well! Also, I think there needs to be higher level questioning of the students. So teachers aren't just accepting right answers and moving on, they are questioning - "How did you figure that out?" "Where did you find that in the text?" And also, if a student gives an incorrect response, the teachers aren't just moving on, but questioning these students. This way the student can often figure out the mistake or the teacher can use it as an assessment tool to see where comprehension broke down.
Also, there needs to be evidence of students be given opportunities to read texts. So often in my district, we see teachers telling the students all the content or reading everything to them and making the meaning for them. Allington and others have said that kids need to be reading in order to gain proficiency. I want to see kids reading and making meaning of texts, but also with purposeful instruction. So the students aren't just assigned things, but are taught how to do them and then given time to practice them. On Nov 30, 2007 5:23 AM, ljackson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > As a district, we thought a lot about this last year. Our list includes > discourse--teacher to student and student to teacher just isn't good > enough. > There needs to be evidence that students are encouraged (and allowed) to > engage one another in educational discourse. There needs to be evidence > of > KIDS--I know that sounds silly, but the classroom needs to feel like kids > live there--work there--learn there. Anchor charts, student work should > outweigh any commercial charts. When space allows for it, we want to see > places for whole group, small group and and one to one instruction, along > with instruction within those groupings. Remember when Allington asked > questions like "Who do you know that is a good reader?" in Classrooms that > Work--I would look very closely at answers to those questions. In a great > classroom, different gifts are honored and the answers ought to be > telling. > I would tell this reporter to look at the checklist that Kohn presents in > the back of this book, The Schools Our Children Deserve. > > Lori > > > On 11/29/07 10:40 PM, "Bill IVEY" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Hi! > > > > I know on and off over the past year, we've had a number of discussions > > over how teaching in general and middle schools in particular are > > presented in the news, and I've sensed a fair amount of frustration from > a > > number of us (including myself). So... > > > > There's a website that came through in today's PEN NewsBlast about what > > journalists should look for in a classroom; they interviewed a number of > > teachers and videotaped their response to the prompt "What would you > look > > for in a classroom as proof of great teaching?" Before I give you all > the > > link (tomorrow or Sunday), how would *you* answer the question?! > > > > 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 > > -- > Lori Jackson > District Literacy Coach & Mentor > Todd County School District > Box 87 > Mission SD 57555 > > http:www.tcsdk12.org > ph. 605.856.2211 > > > Literacies for All Summer Institute > July 17-20. 2008 > Tucson, Arizona > > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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
