On Feb 16, 2008 12:19 PM, gina nunley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Donna said> > Message: 4> Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:39:01 -0500> From: > "Kevin Kleinert" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> Subject: [MOSAIC] strategy and > skills> To: <[email protected]>> Message-ID: < > [EMAIL PROTECTED]>> Content-Type: text/plain; > format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";> reply-type=original> > As a former > physical education teacher, when it comes to skills and > strategies, I > can't help but use a sports analogy. In the game of > basketball a player > must possess certain isolated skills such as dribbling, > passing, shooting, > and a solid defensive stance. These skills are > fundamental and constantly > refined. They in turn need to use these isolated > skills to learn. > implement and pull them all together to apply game winning > strategies of > complicated offensive plays and defensive match ups.> > In reading, their > are many skills one needs such as phonics, decoding, > encoding, using > context clues, identifying narrative elements, knowing when > meaning breaks > down, rereading, reading with fluency, using picture clues, > etc. and in > turn these skills are all needed to implement the strategies of > > inferencing, synthesizing, creating mental images, asking thick and thin > > questions, making connections etc.> > I don't feel my students need as much > clarification on whether it is a skill > or strategy, as much as I as their > teacher, need to monitor and assess my > students' skills and what > strategies they are ready to learn and/or can > apply.> > Am I making > sense?> > Donna Kleinert > > > > This conversation about skills and strategies if always on my mind as a > middle school teacher. I am not so much concerned about clarifying the > differences, as identifying what is worth focus at the middle level. > > I think to do these kids justice I have to decide where I will get the > most return on investment of time and practice. I simply can not make sure > I fix every weakness and close every gap that has grown over the years for > them. I have to decide what is most worth my doing. How have other middle > school teachers addressed this? > > > > > Gina> > >
I also have this sports metaphor in my head as I teach. I share it with my kids at the beginning of the year in regards to their reading and writing. I use it mostly to help them see that while we practice a lot as a team, they have to do a lot of their fine tuning on their own. We all come from different places and have different skills. Even I have weaknesses as a reader that I have to work on. So, as a coach, I can only show them the way to throw free throws so much: They have to spend the hours alone practicing doing it over and over, remembering what was told to them and applying it in a way that makes sense to them. I have to tell you, though "I think to do these kids justice I have to decide where I will get the most return on investment of time and practice" is the same statement used by my district's "more bang for your buck." I hate it. I hate targeting particular standards for everyone because it gets more bang... When doctors operate that way, we sue them for malpractice. Each student (as each patient) should be dealt with as they come. I always feel like those that use that statement see us turning out Fords, not people. But with this group, I know I'm preaching to the choir. Kim > > _________________________________________________________________ > Need to know the score, the latest news, or you need your Hotmail(R)-get > your "fix". > http://www.msnmobilefix.com/Default.aspx > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > -- Kim ------- Kimberlee Hannan Department Chair, ELA Sequoia Middle School Fresno, California 93702 The best teachers teach from the heart, not from the book. ~Author Unknown [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
