This particular boy's parents never got it, went to my director and complained that I wasn't "pushing" him hard enough. She supported me. Parents chilled towards me, until his test scores came back, and they were very high and showed high growth.
What was more important to me than test scores was how his personality developed this year. He started out as a not-so-likable smart-alack, who would put down others and their ideas in a heart beat. I've never met anyone with such an attitude at such a young age. He thought everyone else was dumb, and it was his job to correct them in the most harsh manner possible. (wonder where he got that idea?) Anyway, he went from being the person least welcome in a group, to neutral. I'd be more happy if others wanted him in their group, but this shift was huge for him. He still has to work on suppressing that arrogance, but at least it's not automatic any more. Joy/NC/4 How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and content go hand in hand. http://www.responsiveclassroom.org ________________________________ From: Kathy Keyzer <[email protected]> To: [email protected]; Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, June 20, 2009 9:01:32 AM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Synthesizing with younger ages Amen! A dream come true would be that everyone would understand this FACT! ----- Original Message ----- From: <[email protected]> To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" <[email protected]> Sent: Saturday, June 20, 2009 8:25 AM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Synthesizing with younger ages > And it's a dangerous habit of mind or disposition to think that all learning > is easy and you should never have to work To Understand. What a disservice > to our young minds. > Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel > > -----Original Message----- > From: Joy <[email protected]> > > Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2009 05:21:10 > To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email > Group<[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Synthesizing with younger ages > > > Sally, > You've hit on a concept that is near and dear to my heart - approximations. > If more people would understand that approximations is what we're after, that > the growth and learning is somewhere in the approximations. It's those little > changes, the slight adjustments, the tiny shifts in thinking that move > children forward. "You can't be perfect and learn at the same time," is > something Marv Marshall says that is so true, because if you were perfect the > first time, there is nothing to learn. > > I have this discussion with parents who are hyper-focused on their kids > achievement, pushing them to perfection in every task they attempt. They > think they are having high expectations, when in fact they aren't allowing > them to struggle and come to the understanding naturally. > > > > Joy/NC/4 > > How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and content go > hand in hand. http://www.responsiveclassroom.org > > > > > > ________________________________ > From: thomas <[email protected]> > To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group > <[email protected]> > Sent: Thursday, June 18, 2009 9:44:04 AM > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Synthesizing with younger ages > > What is amazing is that the Debbie's students WERE able to think in such > beautiful and complex ways. By not simplifying, by believing they were/are > capable, and by using some of the approaches described in the book (and > other books by keene, Harvey, et al) children can do this! Debbie would say > "don't simplify" but show them how you do it, gradually release the > strategies to them, expect approximations (that's how we learn).... > Watch Debbie and her class on video. > > Many or most of us on this list have seen other children do it too. > Don't simplify or lower your expectations. Children have enormous > potential. > > Sally > > > On 6/17/09 10:27 PM, "Katherine M. Salvia" <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Hello, >> My name is Kate Salvia and I am a elementary school teacher and high school >> theatre teacher. I am taking a literacy course right now towards my masters. >> We just completed reading Reading with Meaning by Debbie Miller, and the last >> chapter struck my interest especially, Synthesizing Information. What is the >> best way to introduce synthesizing to the younger grades? Some of the >> techniques in the book seemed very advanced, and I was wondering if anyone >> had >> recommendations to simplifying so it can be introduced to younger grades. >> Thank you, >> Kate Salvia >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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. > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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. > > _______________________________________________ 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.
