Hello, I had to jump in here. My two cents. I used to take piano as a child. I would go to my lessons and then come back home, practice for 5 minutes and proceed to "do my own thing." My father would scold me and say, "Learn to play the right way, then you can play anyway you want!" I knew what he meant. I was complaining that I had to play, Fur Elise, or some other classical piece when all I wanted to play was Joni Mitchell or The Beatles. He wanted me to learn HOW TO PLAY, get that foundation, and then move on to making my own music. He was right...it was a good foundation. I think the same goes for scripts. I used to hate them, too, but I understand why the powers that be think they are necessary. Too many teachers are doing "their own thing," when they should be aware of research about good teaching. Scripts make sure we "learn to teach the right way" so that we can then incorporate those techniques and make them our own. I am a thinking teacher like all of you and when I am observed I am never using "the script" but I always get compliments on how well the students are engaged and thinking. No one has ever corrected the words I used during a lesson. We use a scripted program, but like all of you, I learned more from Lucy Calkins and Debbie Miller. I mostly use the "scripts" from those experts and like I said, I've never been corrected. With all that said, I know there are principals who wouldn't like anything other than the script being used during a lesson. That is unfortunate, and it tells me that those individuals are NOT thinking either! Hope that helps..
________________________________ From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 2:59:15 PM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] scripts and thinking In a message dated 2/20/2009 12:23:56 PM Eastern Standard Time, [email protected] writes: think scripts have a place for some teachers especially if Just food for thought:) Did any of us in our journey through learning how to teach comprehension strategies and transforming our classrooms into literate rich communities ever use "Debbie Millers script"? "Did you say over and over again "So, how did that help you as a reader?" so many times that you felt it was a recording? Possibly, but I bet you moved on to even deeper conversation. You moved on with your readers and where they were in their journey. I sure did use those scripts and sometimes still do. . . especially when something is still new to me. But, I am a thinking teacher and appreciate Debbie and Lucy's words as a model and use them until they become comfortable and become my own versions. . . until I am able to move past them and mold my own words according to the readers I am with and their needs. Thank you so much Lucy for giving me the "think about reading worker script I love to use! Thank you so much to the "Learning Pad" site that has some wonderful scripting. I did not think of any of these great ideas, but used the ideas to aide my own understanding and thinking. Do we not provide scripts for our own readers in our classroom as we model conversations in reader's share each day? Eventually, they are asking these same questions of others and more importantly of themselves when they think about their thinking. "Scripts" can have their place in learning. Starting with a script of some sort doesn't mean one is going to rely on them always but is just using it as a jumping point. Some may not ever need them, some may. Just my thoughts. Cynthia Hart Lexington **************Need a job? Find an employment agency near you. (http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=employment_agencies&ncid=emlcntusyelp00000003) _______________________________________________ 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. _______________________________________________ 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.
