I so agree!!! This describes what happens perfectly. sally
On 11/10/09 4:13 PM, "Beverlee Paul" <[email protected]> wrote: > A very wise college prof I had says, "Anything that can be used, can be > abused." > > I feel the same about cooperative learning a la those extremists or > extremists with math manipulatives, etc. My favorite example is from a > teacher in Colorado, who had a zap right as she heard herself say, "Boys and > girls, shush up! No talking!! It's time for oral language!!!" I'm glad > she could laugh at herself and share because I think about that statement a > lot. > > If you have to break apart a group functioning beautifully and assign > cooperative roles, think again. If you have to keep dumping out those > unifix cubes onto the table of a child who's trying to explain to his near > neighbor how you can mentally do "that" in at least 2 different ways, and > "let's see if there's even another," think again. If you take a group of > book lovers who have come to you starving for literature to feed their > passion and who thoughtfully and collaboratively discuss at a higher level, > don't get out the role sheets, for heaven's sake. Think again. > I agree with my old college prof. And we in education could do with a > little benign neglect in our teaching methods and a good pair of eyes and > ears to observe with. Sometimes our kids slip past us. > On Tue, Nov 10, 2009 at 10:41 AM, Stewart, L > <[email protected]>wrote: > >> "In my experience, strategy instruction works. For all kids, not just >> strugglers. I do not believe it is only for struggling readers. I would >> like to see the list discuss what aspects of strategy instruction, as it is >> currently being implemented, turns kids off from the love of reading so >> that we can all learn what to avoid." >> >> I never meant to imply that only struggling readers need strategy >> instruction. Certainly all of my students need experience determining theme >> and author's craft, etc. But I think if I hear one more child say I can >> make a text-to-self connection and then make the most minimal connection to >> the text they are reading I may go crazy! I hear mind-numbing conversations >> and weeks of instruction on one strategy in multiple classrooms across >> multiple grade levels. I certainly think children should find ways in which >> they relate to text but that will come with more exposure to text and a lot >> more CONVERSATIONS with peers as well as teachers. Strong readers don't >> think about the strategies in isolation. Our school is advocating a model >> where the child reads with me in a small guided group for maybe 20 minutes >> once or twice per week and then reads their independent reading book, >> attempting to utilize the same strategy we discussed in guided and then >> writes about it in a letter to me. Sorry Fountas and Pinell...I just don't >> think that is what authentic reading is about. I don't follow the plan. I >> do pull guided groups, but afterwards my kids go back and read a book with a >> small group of their peers and talk about it and they may or may not discuss >> the strategy they practiced with me. Writing about reading flows naturally >> after conversations about reading. The teachers on this site all love >> reading and teaching reading. What about those teachers who don't? I think >> the model can be deadly and it is difficult to implement by even the most >> experienced teacher. I know that I am not supposed to have read the books >> my children are reading, but how can I comment and model if I don't know the >> text? So, I have five reading groups and they are all in different texts. >> I don't get a lot of sleep, but so far I don't think I've lost any future >> readers of America to the reading war and I am proud of that. >> >> Leslie R. Stewart >> (203)481-5386 X310 FAX (203)483-0749 >> [email protected] >> >> Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter >> and those who matter don't mind." >> ~ Dr. Seuss >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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.
