Hi Jennifer, Your comment below really stood out for me. I think that if you believe that knowledge is constructed then I don't see a contradiction with the fact that every child (and every teacher) learns differently. For me it is important that it be socially constructed, as well. Hence the importance of conversation in the classroom. In fact, that is critical to constructivism: we all construct our understandings individually based on our prior knowledge, experiences, etc and then we challenge or cement these understandings through our social interactions with teachers, other students, and simply others more expert than ourselves, in and out of school settings. I think that is the most salient argument against scripted programs: they assume that all children learn at the same rate, in the same way, with the same tools, using the same words, etc. There is no construction of knowledge just swallowing it and forcefully if it doesn't fit with your current schema. The brain rebels when learning isn't challenging and doesn't help make connections, among other things. You end up with tuned out kids who at best are obedient and at worst are rebellious. Thank the goddess for the rebellious ones (students and teachers) otherwise we wouldn't have any opportunities for questioning what we do.
Thanks for making me think. Elisa Elisa Waingort Grade 2 Spanish Bilingual Dalhousie Elementary Calgary, Canada The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt within the heart. —Helen Keller Visit my blog, A Teacher's Ruminations, and post a message. http://waingortgrade2spanishbilingual.blogspot.com/ I try to reconcile my beliefs with what I am actually doing and with each other. An example...I wrote that I believed that a constructivist approach to reading was important to develop readers who are engaged and interested. This is tough to reconcile with another belief...that every child learns differently and that we as teachers are responsible for helping each child find the right path to learning. This internal intellectual struggle makes it hard for me to develop a strong opinion on scripted intervention programs. Jennifer
_______________________________________________ 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.
