Bill,
It is starting in elementary school. I had a student in 5th who
already knew all he had to do was pass the test and he would go on.
So, very little was there in motivation. When the state backs this,
and the kids know it, what are we to do??
We can try and still work toward helping them strive for more. Can
parent support help your situation. Sometimes if parents are aware,
the situation can change. If these are college bound kids, maybe a
parent night where you can discuss concerns for their college futures
could liven them up!!!! Do you have internet abilities? Maybe
publishing their work on an website can cause them to become deeper
writers. The "audience" of the world might help to push them deeper.
Just some ideas,
Julie/FL too!!!!!
On Dec 22, 2006, at 8:15 AM, William Roberts wrote:
> They had a rubric. They just don't want to put any effort into
> thinking or
> writing. Most stay at the low level of their reading range
> ("Because it's
> easier to read") and don't choose books because of interest level.
> If a
> book has any challenge to it, they put it back on the shelf. They
> don't
> complete assignments and only do 2 or 3 of the 5 questions or write
> one
> sentence when I want a paragraph. They have no hobbies, interests, or
> guidelines to discuss or be aware of qualities. Even ones who have
> a hobby
> don't feel any passion for it ("I like soccer." "So what makes soccer
> interesting or fun?" "I don't know, I just like it."). Watching a
> movie is
> too much work, they would rather make it up than make an effort.
> Most are
> happy with a D or F because they think they can pass the state test
> and move
> on. Most are at the literal comprehension level which is not
> typical for
> 8th graders. I'm hoping this is just this group, but the 7th and
> 6th grade
> teachers are saying their classes are worse.
> Bill
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Carolyn Wilhelm" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: <[email protected]>
> Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2006 7:11 PM
> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] New problem....
>
>
>> Hello, I'm new to all this and am just jumping in...and I hear
>> you!...but, I would have the students make a rubric for grading the
>> assignment, and have them self grade as well as evaluate them myself.
>> Brainstorming what is a good/excellent student paper/response
>> first and
>> then giving the assignment afterward would get them thinking of
>> how to
>> do it well. We don't really mean we want their favorite, we mean we
>> want them to write well, right? So I would say that is what I
>> mean. "A
>> favorite" should be stressed.
>>
>> You gave other options, even video games. There was so much choice.
>>
>> What about first watching a movie or TV show together (Mercat Manor?)
>> and doing a group response, making a rubric together, and then giving
>> choice?
>>
>> I am probably jumping in too soon. I love all of this discussion
>> and am
>> really glad to discover this group!
>> Carolyn
>>
>>
>> Carolyn Wilhelm
>> Gr. 1 Teacher, Plymouth Creek Elementary
>> 763.745.5865
>> See our class online:
>>
> http://www.wayzata.k12.mn.us/plymouthcreek/index.php?
> option=com_content&task=view&id=87&Itemid=137
>>>>> "William Roberts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 12/21/06 5:27 PM >>>
>> Hope everyone is getting rest and relaxation this holiday season, but
>> I've
>> got a problem: I'm not getting any thinking from my 8th
>> graders.....at
>> least not anything I want. I know I'm not expecting too much from
>> them
>> since other years have not been so....so....mere words can't describe
>> them.
>> Let me show you:
>>
>> I gave a writing prompt to tell me about a favorite movie, TV show,
>> book,
>> video game, or CD album. Many tried, but a few MADE UP SHOWS! Once
>> wrote
>> about a movie that had "over 200 movie stars!" Others wrote about
>> movies
>> that hadn't even seen, but they had heard of them or had seen a
>> trailer
>> about them. A few told me that they had no favorite for any of the
>> suggested items! I asked, "What do you do for fun?" and got the
>> response,
>> "I sleep." I continued with, "What do you do when you wake up?"
>> Answer:
>> "I eat." I knew better, but continued, "So what do you do when you
>> aren't
>> sleeping or eating?" and was told, "Sometimes I stare at my ceiling
>> fan."
>>
>> I was finishing a movie unit which included using the strategies
>> on art,
>> music, movies, as well as books, and the students were supposed to
>> select a
>> movie from the top 250 movies (foreign and American), and write an
>> essay
>> about the film. One child wrote, "I didn't do the assignment. It
>> was a
>> stupid assignment. You wanted us to write about a movie we hadn't
>> seen.
>> If
>> we hadn't seen it, how did you expect us to write about it?" and
>> he was
>> totally sincere! One wrote about ROCKY and regaled about the
>> "bloody,
>> awesome fights" but not one thing about the acting or music or
>> direction.
>> When I asked if he had actually seen it, he said "no, but I did
>> see part
>> of
>> one of the fights."
>>
>> In a class discussion about music, we all made connections when I
>> talked
>> about a favorite song coming on the radio ("Everyone turns up the
>> volume!"),
>> but when I mentioned a song you didn't like, this class said, "you
>> listen to
>> it." I asked if you changed the station (which most classes
>> admitted),
>> but
>> this one class insisted you just listen to the song whether you
>> hate it
>> or
>> not. I asked why they wouldn't change the station, and they said "if
>> you
>> wait, a better song will come on." I asked (you'd think I'd learn to
>> stop
>> asking) why they didn't turn the station and was told, "It's too much
>> trouble to change the knob back."
>>
>> They do not infer. They do not think for themselves or have educated
>> opinions. Is this laziness? The results of too much state
>> tests? Is
>> this
>> group a mutation? Or did they miss the cognitive boat? With state
>> tests
>> only a few months away, I'm losing my mind. Any ideas?
>>
>> Bill
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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