Another thing I notice is that teachers seem not to always know what other teachers are assigning. Therefore, kids can get bogged down in too many long term assignments and don't know how to pace themselves. I believe that teachers need to communicate their expectations to each other through team meetings and try to assign projects with due dates that are staggered.
Alice -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Heather Poland Sent: Monday, December 31, 2007 12:07 PM To: A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades. Subject: Re: [LIT] resolutions? I think one of the biggest things is that teachers (especially when you get to high school) assign a project but then don't teach the students *how* to do the assignment. For example, an essay will be assigned, but then no class time is spent on instruction around it. Of course the struggling students will be too frustrated to even attempt to do it. Then, often times the higher performing students will get a little *too* much help from their parents or some end up plagiarizing off the internet - and sometimes have their parents back them up. To avoid this, I like to do projects in class, and then students can work on them at home if they need to. So, for writing an essay, the first part of my class would have instruction around writing the essay - maybe on the introduction or using evidence, then the rest of the time is spent having the kids write and I conference. I have lots of models on chart paper too, which really helps all students, especially the struggling students. I feel very strongly that projects should be done in class with instruction to support it. On Dec 31, 2007 9:35 AM, Alice Cortigiano <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >From my experiences........ > > Teachers don't check it and get it back to them, > > Assignments are often too hard and don't reinforce what is being learned > in > class, > > It is many times busy work because teacher's have to assign it, > > It is not meaningful and engaging to the students, > > They just don't care...myspace, blogging, texting are much more important! > > Alice > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Sunday, December 30, 2007 7:04 PM > To: A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades. > Subject: [LIT] resolutions? > > > > > I'd like to hear from those of you who have experienced a similar > situation. > What prevents students from finishing assignments? > Jan > > > -------------- Original message ---------------------- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > I've learned that I rarely satisfy New Year's resolutions. After > participating > > in a thread the past two days on Middle Talk, I've decided my sole > Professional > > New Year's resolution is similar to Laurie's: > > I want to make sure my assignments enable me to "hover" more effectively > and > > I'll involve the students more in planning how to "chunk" the > assignments. > The > > most disturbing thing to me about school this year is learning that a > large > > portion of students do not complete assignments, especially the big > ticket > and > > long term project-type, and a significant number do not even begin. > > > > I guess I do have one more, though--to be a more effective mentor to the > young > > English teacher I've been assigned. > > > > But that's it! No more resolutions--maybe I can actually realize just > two. > > _______________________________________________ > 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
